TWM Three Way Mirror
by DaZen Lemon
Summary: (the real TWM) Kagome's life is tied to the Shikon no Tama, and shares the same fate. If the jewel is purified and destroyed after used, what does that mean for Kagome? What will InuYasha wish for now?
1. Beforehand

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any other characters.

A/N: If you started reading this on mediaminer please note that I have altered a few things and taken out a few more, and changed some chapter titles.

Also, if anyone on fanfiction has noticed that there is an identical fic under the penname Inu-san, I would like to take a moment and point out that that is my old penname. I switched to Yami no Tsubasa because the email address I was using for Inu-san is dead (the ISP I had went kaput, and my email followed like a puppy) so I made YnT.

Further and last note: I won't rant in the beginning of chapters any more, like I did on MediaMiner. (Yeah, sorry for that.) Also, I'm rewriting a few parts of TWM so that the characters are more accurately portrayed. My dad has said that I have to cut back on computer time (scoffs) so I don't know if I'll be able to update frequently or not.

Enough of my prattle, this is why you're here:

**Beforehand**

_The Shikon no Tama, or Jewel of Four Souls, had the power to grant someone a wish. Many demons sought the powers it contained. It was created by a miko named Midoriko, then later was passed to another miko by the name Kikyou. Kikyou protected the Shikon no Tama for many years. The only way the jewel could be purified was if it was protected for a lifetime from evil, or if a demon made a pure wish on it. Kikyou valiantly fought off all the creatures, large and small, that desired the Shikon no Tama._

_But one day, a bandit by the name of Onigumo stumbled into Kikyou's village. The priestess was too kindhearted to send him away. He was rendered immobile by horrible burns, and Kikyou took care of him, hiding him and bringing him food and water._

_Though Kikyou's intentions were pure, Onigumo's were not. He set his desires on Kikyou, and despised the half-demon, InuYasha, whom Kikyou began to love. Kikyou and InuYasha made a plan. InuYasha would use the Shikon no Tama to become a human and live with Kikyou, and Kikyou would live her dream of being an ordinary woman._

_During that time, Onigumo offered himself up to a hoard of demons, giving his flesh for their power and mobility. The demon Naraku was thus created. He tricked Kikyou and InuYasha into betraying each other, so that Kikyou pinned InuYasha to a tree with a sacred arrow, causing him to succumb to an enchanted sleep. To the half-demon, it was as good as death. Kikyou followed him in death, suffering from a fatal wound to her shoulder that Naraku himself inflicted, disguised as InuYasha._

_Kikyou willed her younger sister Kaede to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body. Regretfully, the young miko-in-training did as she was bidden. The Shikon no Tama was burned along with the village's beloved miko._

_Fifty years later, Kikyou's reincarnation- Kagome Higurashi- fell through the Bone Eater's Well, which transported her from the twenty-first century to the feudal era of Japan. The Shikon no Tama was inside her very body, integrated into her being through the fires that burned Kikyou, which not only turned Kikyou to ashes, but the jewel, too._

_InuYasha awoke then, and defeated the centipede demon that drug Kagome into the well. But he turned on Kagome, claiming she smelled of the woman that killed him. Kaede, now fifty years older, put a magical rosary around InuYasha's neck. Kagome, with the command 'oswari', was able to subdue the half-demon. Of course he was unhappy about it, and was only after the Jewel of Four Souls._

_During a fight with a crow youkai, Kagome broke the jewel, and she and InuYasha went on a quest to retrieve all the pieces. Along their journey, InuYasha's elder brother, Sesshoumaru, attacked them. He was after their father's sword, the Tetsusaiga. He himself had the other of their father's swords, tenseiga. Sesshoumaru was beaten when InuYasha transformed the blade willed to him by his father, in order to protect Kagome._

_'Just shut up and let me protect you!'_

_One of Sesshoumaru's arms was severed in a painful memento of one of his few defeats._

_A young fox demon named Shippo soon joined them after that, and soon after InuYasha discovered instant ramen noodles. Shippo was trying to avenge his father's death by stealing Kagome's jewel shards to gain power. InuYasha defeated the Thunder Brothers, and gained their jewel shards._

_A witch named Urasue took possession of Kikyou's ashes. When Kaede, InuYasha, and Kagome went after her to recover the ashes, Kagome was Kidnapped. Urasue put her soul into Kikyou's body, which was made of graveyard soil, bones, and ashes. Kagome then figured out that InuYasha used to love Kikyou. But before Kikyou could stake her revenge on InuYasha, whom she thought killed her, Kagome called her soul back into her body. Kikyou staggered away, left only with her burning hatred toward InuYasha._

_Later, they came across a... a... a cursed monk by the name of Miroku. His curse was a wind tunnel in his right palm, given to him by Naraku two generations before him._

_After a time, a demon slayer from the village where the jewel originated joined their crew. The demon slayer, Sango, was also tricked by Naraku into thinking that InuYasha had slaughtered her village while she was away._

_The forger of the Tetsusaiga, Toto-sai, ran down InuYasha. While he was with them, Sesshoumaru attacked again. InuYasha unlocked the Wind Scar, and defeated Sesshoumaru once again, though didn't kill him. Tenseiga protected Sesshoumaru. Toto-sai explained that while the Tetsusaiga could destroy a hundred demons, tenseiga could save a hundred._

_Even later, they ran into a pack of wolf demons. Their prince and leader, Kouga, set his sights on Kagome once he found out she could see the jewel shards. He didn't join their group, but helped from time-to-time in order to have Kagome as his 'mate'._

_'Kagome, you're my woman.'_

_During that time a young girl named Rin was attacked by Kouga's pack, and Sesshoumaru decided to experiment with his sword. He brought Rin back to life by destroying the otherworldly imps that came for her._

_Many other fights were fought as the small group collected more and more jewel shards. Unfortunately, Naraku was collecting the shards, too. It became a power struggle to gain the shards, and Naraku would send detachments of himself to fight the group. Such detachments were Kagura, the Wind Sorceress, and Kanna of the Mirror. Others that did not last were the mind-reading Goshinki, the one that took a bite out of InuYasha's Tetsusaiga._

_InuYasha's sword kept his demon half in check, and without it, he was overcome. He was lost in the feel of battle, the thought of killing Goshinki. InuYasha had to turn to Toto-sai, the creator of the Tetsusaiga, of whom he had a past with, to repair the sword. Toto-sai used one of InuYasha's fangs to repair it._

_Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru commissioned Toto-sai's renegade apprentice, Kaijinbo, to forge him a sword made of Goshinki's teeth. After a skirmish with InuYasha and his friends, Sesshoumaru recovered the sword, toukijin._

_The small group was very close to each other then. Kagome was in love with InuYasha, and InuYasha remained confused. Miroku and Sango had their own little tiffs, usually consisting of a grope and a bump on the head._

_After many battles and many bruises, along with several near-death experiences, the final battle was at hand. Kikyou sided with Naraku, determined to kill InuYasha. Sesshoumaru claimed to be the one that would kill InuYasha, and so sided with his brother in order to do so later. Kouga also sided with the small group, determined to get revenge on the wind sorceress Kagura for murdering his comrades. The jewel was divided, some to InuYasha's group, most to Naraku's. Kikyou herself handed most of Naraku's collection of shards to him._

_With no more shards to find, Naraku attacked the group..._


	2. Ruby Amethyst and Gold

Disclaimers: InuYasha and the others do not belong to me, and I don't think they ever will.

A/N: If I messed up spelling something (like attack names) please don't hesitate to tell me I've done so. If you can give me the correct spelling, I'll fix it.

**Ruby Amethyst and Gold**

"Sango! Behind you!"

"Don't worry about me, block to your left!"

Sango hurried to bring her boomerang into position, staving off the attack of a particularly nasty-looking snake-youkai. She managed to twist out of the way at the same time that Kirara sank her teeth into the neck of a human-shaped youkai covered in scales. Miroku was set upon by several other demons, the poison wasps buzzing threateningly in the air. Sesshoumaru slashed through several demons in one sweep, covering InuYasha's back as the younger made his way toward Naraku.

Kagome stayed by the tree line, aiming her arrows at Naraku. The first one swung wide, the purifying aura just missing the evil hanyou's arm. Kouga was battling with Kagura, and managed to give her several major injuries that hindered her movements. It was clear to her master that she wouldn't last much longer.

An arrow hit home in the tree behind Kagome. Kikyou was suddenly on the hill next to Naraku, bow in hand. Kagome could see InuYasha fighting his way up the hill, Sesshoumaru at his back. He was growling, and Sesshoumaru was growling back. The demons in the clearing below were only meant to hinder, and keep the others from coming any closer. It felt suspiciously like Naraku was merely toying with the group.

Soul stealers snaked their way around Kagome's waist and hands, making her drop her bow as they lifted her into the air. InuYasha saw this and tried to turn back. Sesshoumaru wouldn't have it. He pushed InuYasha in the other direction, towards Naraku. The soul stealers were bringing her to Kikyou.

Naraku's albino baboon pelt around his waist shifted, and large root-like appendages shot out of the ground. Kouga barely avoided one, and Kagura took that time to strike the already injured wolf prince. His right arm was numbed from shoulder to fingertips, useless. His left ankle was broken, rendering him immobile for the most part. Kagura thought she somehow hit both his arms, and moved in to deliver the final blow personally.

"It looks like you will succumb to the same fate as your comrades, wolf boy," she smirked. She raised her fan to strike, but Kouga moved first. His hand shot through her throat and exiting through the other side. After only a few seconds, Naraku realized she was dead.

Sesshoumaru wouldn't allow InuYasha to turn back. He pressed forward, determined to end the battle as soon as possible. Even he couldn't go on forever and with the strain of this fight continuing for days. He was beginning to feel it in his bones. The allies that had followed him and his brother into battle- both human and youkai alike- lay numerous at his feet, his shoes crunching on their bones already picked dry by the youkai. InuYasha saw Kikyou bringing Kagome closer, and grew determined to make the first strike. He was nearly within sword range when one of the root-tentacles nearly impaled him. He wasn't without injury, to be sure, and that little maneuver pulled something. Sesshoumaru pushed him on, and for once InuYasha was grateful for it. He wasn't sure if he could make it the rest of the way up the hill on his own.

Naraku had the gall to stand there and smirk, looking like he wasn't even making an effort. In truth he was pulling off his part of the Shikon no Tama like never before. He was pulling all his resources to keep the monk and demon slayer at bay. He hadn't counted on Kouga or Sesshoumaru being with them. Nor had he accounted for the veritable army that backed them. That put a strain on his powers. He barely managed to spare Kagura enough to fight the wolf boy and what was left of his pack, and now she was dead. Kanna was straining, and he'd be willing to bet that she would die that night.

Apparently striking at midnight wasn't the smartest of ideas. He hadn't counted on InuYasha or Kouga being awake, or Sesshoumaru suddenly sounding the alarm from a distance. It wasn't the ambush that he was trying for. He'd been so confident in his plan that he'd even come down in person to take the jewel shards.

It was just luck that Kikyou was around when he began to weaken. She jumped in just as the misfit group nearly gained the advantage.

Kouga let out a cry of alarm. One of Naraku's root-tentacles had wrapped around his body, and was nearly crushing him. In another moment Naraku would have done just that if Kirara hadn't broken it. Kouga fell to the ground, twisting several injuries. He winced. He was swarmed by a hoard of youkai, but they didn't attack. They seemed to be forming... a blockade?

"Don't fight the lesser youkai!" Kouga shouted, his voice strained. "They're only a distraction!" For this he was glad. His muscles were protesting painfully, almost to the extent that he couldn't move.

By this time Kagome was right up next to Kikyou, and Kikyou was smirking while Kagome looked terrified. "You are no longer needed," Kikyou said coldly, snapping the chain around Kagome's neck for the second time in as many years. Kagome felt her body go cold.

Kagome tried to speak, her voice coming out strangled and shaky. "What's... happening?" she managed. Kikyou had to smile bitterly at her.

"Your life is tied to this jewel, as was mine," Kikyou explained. "You ask me why I took the jewel from you long ago. It's because when the jewel is corrupt, you are corrupt. And when it is gone, so are you."

"You really... r-really mean to... t-to kill me..." Kagome stammered. Kikyou didn't say yes. But she didn't deny it, either.

InuYasha managed to take a swing at Naraku. The evil hanyou sidestepped and sent out another of his appendages. Sesshoumaru shoved his younger brother out of the way and closer to Naraku. While the mirror-child was aiming her weapon at InuYasha, Sesshoumaru managed to launch himself into the air, twisting so that he landed behind Kanna, and shred her young-looking body with his claws.

Just as Naraku reared to strike with his tentacles, he quickly set up the strongest barrier he'd ever produced. InuYasha sensed this, and the Tetsusaiga glowed red just as the silver-haired hanyou screamed, "Bakkryuuha!"

There was a blinding flash of light that reversed not only Naraku's powers, but the powers of the Shikon no Tama he used in order to create the barrier, which shredded him beyond belief.

Naraku's piece of the jewel rolled down the hill, right into Shippo's shaky hands. The young fox demon 'eeped' and bounded off into the trees, trying to draw away all the youkai. He succeeded. Thankfully, he was clearheaded and more agile than them.

Miroku froze with his back to Sango. He had just ripped the prayer beads off of his cursed hand, attempting to suck up as many youkai as he could before the poison of the Saimyosho overcame him. His hand shaking almost so that it looked like he was having a fit, he looked at his palm without immediate fear of killing himself. He almost collapsed, so great was his relief.

"Oi, Kouga!" InuYasha called out, facing Kikyou. "Can you move?"

"B-barely," Kouga struggled, trying to rise to his feet. The only thing that let him do so was the anger now coursing through him at the sight of Kikyou near Kagome. InuYasha cursed under his breath.

"Sesshoumaru," he growled. He could feel Sesshoumaru's attention turn to him. "Go protect Shippo."

"I do not take orders from you," Sesshoumaru protested.

"If anything happens to Shippo, you die. If he so much as cries, you cry. Got it?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply. He took off to go fend off the youkai pursuing the kit. The look in InuYasha's exhausted golden eyes told him that it was not a threat to be taken lightly.

InuYasha glared at Kikyou. Kikyou glared back. Miroku and Sango hurried up the hill to wearily flank InuYasha, scarcely two steps behind him.

Sango stood ready, her boomerang held in a shaky hand. Throughout the scuffle, she'd been smeared with dirt and blood. Still her brown eyes burned in anger, expressing that should Kikyou make any cruel gesture toward Kagome, she would kill her without hesitation. Miroku wore a similar look on his face. Though he was grateful that his curse had been lifted, he sorely wished he could unleash the wind tunnel on Kikyou, just to get rid of her.

The fierce expression that was on InuYasha's face moments ago fell. It was as if he was locking himself up inside for what he knew he had to do next. He'd been preparing for it, but now, suddenly faced with the actual situation, both Kagome's and Kikyou's so-different eyes on him, he almost faltered.

"Well, InuYasha," Kikyou said calmly, "what will you do now?" She chuckled and gripped Kagome's chin, turning the girl's face from side to side. "Such a pretty face," she commented. "But then again, I am looking at my own face, am I not?" She laughed again, mockingly. Kagome shivered and closed her eyes.

"That's low, Kikyou," Miroku glared. "Even for you."

"Good monk, do you deny me that which was promised long ago?" Kikyou raised her eyebrows, turning from Kagome to the group. "I was promised a human InuYasha. I intend to collect that promise if I must take him to hell with me." Kagome shivered again, but this time in anger.

"You... cruel..." Kagome tried to say. She was so cold, though, that her own shivers cut her off. She was cold, so very cold.

Kikyou smiled. "Why, thank you." She turned to InuYasha again. "Do not hold this girl in suspense any longer, InuYasha. Come with me."

InuYasha didn't move. It wasn't until he could feel his brother's presence at his back that he moved. His stoic facade remained tenaciously in place while his thoughts were anything but emotionless. As soon as he thought he was getting somewhere, his thoughts crashed and derailed. Kikyou looked amused.

Kagome couldn't keep the chill from creeping into her heart. Somewhere deep inside she knew InuYasha would chose Kikyou. He'd always choose Kikyou. He'd always choose death over life.

Doubt reared its ugly head in Kikyou's mind. Perhaps InuYasha would choose Kagome. After all, the girl did seem to be more innocent and pure than she could ever be, ever was.

The opportunity he'd waited for, the moment he'd been preparing for, the chance to be free to go on with the one woman he loved... and he was rapidly losing his inner battle. He thought he'd won just the previous night, but he was sorely mistaken. It was as if all three sides of his being were screaming at each other. His human side, stupid and blindly loyal, wanted to stay with Kikyou because they promised her. His youkai side argued that they hadn't promised Kikyou anything, and if they did it didn't matter because Naraku was dead and Kikyou was dead. His hanyou side screamed, long and ragged screams.

Those that knew became increasingly unnerved, nervous because of InuYasha's uncharacteristic behavior.

Sesshoumaru approached InuYasha, holding Shippo in his hand. Shippo clutched half of the Shikon no Tama for dear life, as if it would disappear if he let go of it.

He shared a past with Kikyou, that was true. She was his first love. But he also shared a future with Kagome. Kikyou was cold and vindictive, and Kagome was so sweet and child-like in disposition.

If nothing else, Kikyou had taught him not to trust and to keep his heart locked behind tall stone walls that no one wanted to venture into. Kagome had taught him how to trust again, and how to love. Kikyou hadn't done that. True they had loved each other once, but that was once. He realized then that his youkai side was right; she was dead, Naraku was dead, and his promise to Kikyou was fulfilled. Kagome, on the other hand... well, he hadn't specified as to what he would protect her from, had he? Hmm... he decided he didn't remember.

Seconds stretched on, seeming to last for hours upon ages. Shippo shivered in Sesshoumaru's cold grip, while Sango and Miroku struggled to remain silent until InuYasha made his choice. Sesshoumaru watched with a critical eye, trying to find out just what it was InuYasha had to decide between. Kouga struggled on with the few remaining humans against the few remaining youkai, but he was attentive to the scenario up on the hill.

If InuYasha chose Kikyou, Kouga swore to himself he'd take Kagome away from all the pain. He listened intently to the silence, but didn't allow it to interfere with the various small fights he was ending.

Something clicked in InuYasha's mind. His three sides finally decided to stop arguing, and a tense silence filled him to bursting with cold anger.

"Give Kagome her soul back," he demanded of Kikyou. The threat in InuYasha's eyes was enough to tell her that he meant it with everything he could possibly be. His irises started to bleed from the pupil into a dark purple color, and red seeped into the whites of his eyes. Kagome was transfixed, and Kikyou was paralyzed.

"If I give her my soul," Kikyou glared, though her knees shook, "I will die."

InuYasha said nothing, maintaining his stoic expression as his eyes stopped changing. His eyes were rimmed with a deep ruby shade, his pupils almost drowning in a clear amethyst color surrounded by brilliant gold.

Kikyou took two steps closer. A warning growl rose up in InuYasha's chest, while he ground out between his fangs, "Move again and you won't have to give Kagome her soul back by yourself."


	3. Love Bites

Disclaimers: InuYasha and the others do not belong to me, and I don't think they ever will.

Thank you to animeobsessed3191 and Taeniaea, my first reviewers on FanFiction! And, um, animeobsessed3191? Well... I've been told that I end almost all my chapters with cliffhangers...

**Love Bites**

_("If I give her my soul," Kikyou glared, though her knees shook, "I will die."_

_InuYasha said nothing, maintaining his stoic expression as his eyes stopped changing. His eyes were rimmed with a deep ruby shade, his pupils almost drowning in a clear amethyst color surrounded by brilliant gold._

_Kikyou took two steps closer. A warning growl rose up in InuYasha's chest, while he ground out between his fangs, "Move again and you won't have to give Kagome her soul back by yourself.")_

Kikyou stared at InuYasha in disbelief. She smiled in denial and shook her head as if to clear it. "Excuse me" Kikyou growled. "I thought you said that you didn't care that when my soul is handed off to this... this... girl, that you"

"Couldn't care less" InuYasha finished for her. "Not any more."

"InuYasha, you are in denial" Kikyou insisted. InuYasha growled at her.

"I doubt that, Kikyou" InuYasha replied. "I can finally see what you really are, and I don't want anything to do with you."

Sango and Miroku stared at InuYasha in disbelief. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, and Shippo hopped onto InuYasha's shoulder, feeling his forehead. "Are you sick" he asked. The only reply he received was a warning growl, then he took the hanyou's advice and left him alone.

"Damn it, Kikyou, don't make me kill you" InuYasha said coldly. The ice in his voice rivaled that of even Sesshoumaru. What everyone found out was that, while a pissed-off InuYasha was scary, a quiet InuYasha was even scarier.

While his face betrayed nothing, because his friends and enemies in the clearing knew his habits, the carefully schooled expression spoke volumes, indicating that he was not to be messed with. His silver-white hair splattered with blood, some was his own and some not. His haori was torn and frayed in some places from the battle, the red a deeper red, nearly black, in some places where he was still bleeding. Across one cheek was a clean slice, still running in red rivulets down his face. He was smeared with dirt and grime, and didn't seem to give a damn. The mixed colors in his eyes foreshadowed nothing good.

Sesshoumaru, perhaps the cleanest that had been fighting, clearly felt the energy rolling off his younger brother in waves. The hanyou was angry, no doubt about it, and he couldn't really blame him. The boy had been alone since his childhood, and he had the scars to prove it. The abuse he'd suffered as a child gave InuYasha an unsurpassed ability to ignore pain. It couldn't possibly have been restricted to physical pain, either. InuYasha had certainly numbed himself to the core in order to deal with Kikyou.

Kikyou drew an arrow slowly, and aimed it right at InuYasha's heart. "No, InuYasha" she said. "I think it's me that would be made to kill you. Do not push me."

"Oh, I'll push you alright" InuYasha responded, challenge dripping from every word. "Right off another cliff." This came off as unexpected to everyone. Shippo blinked rapidly up at InuYasha, and Sesshoumaru struggled to remain unaffected while Sango and Miroku's jaws dropped. Even Kouga, who was making his way slowly up the hill, gasped. InuYasha's posture betrayed nothing.

"Would you" Kikyou dared. "Would you really choose this girl, that is not even from this time, over me? We could go back to what we had, InuYasha. We could be together. Have each other."

InuYasha shook his head slowly, left and right, and that was it. "You destroyed anything that we could have had when you pinned me to the God Tree."

"You cannot kill me" Kikyou declared.

"I'll sure as hell try, if that's what it comes down to. Now let Kagome go and give her back her soul."

Kikyou glared at him, but the soul stealers set Kagome on her feet. Her legs were weak, and she collapsed to her knees. She was still shivering, still cold. Shippo hopped up next to her, and patted her leg reassuringly.

InuYasha picked up his sword, not taking his eyes off Kikyou, almost like he expected her to try something. He pulled Kagome to her feet, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He held her in the circle of his arms, sword held tensely toward Kikyou. "You okay" he asked gently. Kagome nodded, having no choice but to lean into him for support.

"Yeah" she shivered. "But I'm cold."

Kikyou smirked at that. "Of course you are" she snickered. "I hold part of your life in my hands."

"Uh" Shippo interjected. "I think you just insulted yourself there..."

InuYasha stood quickly, bringing Kagome with him. He glared meaningfully at the undead miko. "What the fuck was that supposed to mean" he yelled.

"It means, my dear hanyou" Kikyou began, an note of disgust in her voice"that I have Kagome right where I want her."

"Well that tells me a lot" InuYasha sneered.

"That... is _so_... **sick**..." Miroku commented. Sango smacked him with her boomerang, and he saw stars. Everyone looked at the fallen perverted monk disbelievingly. Shippo frowned.

"I still don't get anything he says" he complained.

Kikyou glared at the kit. "Give me the jewel, fox."

Shippo stuck his tongue out at her. "No" he cried, emboldened by InuYasha's words. Kikyou shot an arrow at him, but he quickly dodged behind InuYasha with a loud wail. Kagome frowned and looked worriedly over InuYasha's shoulder to the young kitsune. InuYasha growled, vibrating Kagome from head to toe, and, coupled with her shivering, looked like a tremor ran through her. All anger was directed to Kikyou. Kikyou could feel the tension thick in the air, and the fear she had managed to subdue came crashing forth. That was her last arrow. She did the last rational thing she could think of.

She ran.

InuYasha cursed under his breath and gave Kagome a comforting and explaining squeeze before entrusting her to Sango and taking off after Kikyou. Kikyou was barely down the hill before InuYasha caught up with her. They could all see the following battle.

Kikyou stumbled backward when InuYasha cut her off. Everyone could tell he was trying to stay in control enough that he wouldn't kill her... if he could help it. Kikyou, by this time frantic, smacked InuYasha upside the head with her bow. She was going to do it again, but something truly terrifying happened.

InuYasha caught the bow at least a foot before it struck its target, almost by reflex. His entire being was calm, serene, and cold. He slowly turned to face the woman. The glare that was on his face was that of rubies and sapphires, making even Sesshoumaru tremble in fear. A tremor ran down Kikyou's spine. She struggled to summon up her miko powers, but it wouldn't work. She was too scared. She was being stared down by death once again.

InuYasha glanced around, as if he didn't remember where he was or whom he was with. A snarl worked its way across his face until he saw Kagome, cradling Shippo in her arms. He then looked to Kikyou. Kikyou cast her sanity away, and tried for the last time.

"I-Inu...Yasha..." she stammered. InuYasha glared at her. "Does that girl up there mean more to you than I do" she asked.

An evil, alarming smirk passed over his features. When he spoke, his voice was thick with a growl. "Kagome can't compare to you" he said. Just as soon as a cooling relief swept over her, it was replaced with another kind of chill that had nothing to do with relief. InuYasha fisted his hand in her yukata and jerked her forward, an intimidating glare on his face. "You're dead."

Kikyou couldn't move, and a hand violently pierced her stomach. Since she was already dead, she didn't bleed. That was bad. InuYasha rammed his other set of claws through her throat, coming out the other side of her neck. Kikyou gasped for breath, and failed. InuYasha spit a small amount of blood from his mouth to the ground, not taking his eyes off Kikyou.

He dropped her, making her land unceremoniously on the ground, writhing and arching her back in violent spasms. He walked up the hill to the others, Kikyou managing to control her movements enough to watch him. He moved gracefully when he was calm, with a fluidity he didn't possess as a hanyou. Sango backed away from Kagome and InuYasha as the hanyou approached. Kagome held her ground. She wasn't cold any more, and she faintly wondered why. InuYasha stopped in front of her.

She stared admiringly into those fiery eyes unflinching, while Shippo shied away to hide on Miroku's shoulder. InuYasha hesitated for a moment, as if he'd never seen anything like the look Kagome was giving him now: warm and affectionate, not at all afraid of him, yet cautious about what he would do. After that moment, he was back into that manic calm. He held out a hand before her, the smaller part of the Shikon no Tama in his hand.

Kagome stared at the jewel in surprise. Then she looked back up into those corruptly innocent eyes and gasped at what she saw there. There was something powerful behind his eyes, but as soon as she glimpsed it, it was locked away from her.

InuYasha took her hand and placed the jewel in her palm. Kikyou, down in the ditch, made a sound of outrage. No one paid her any mind. InuYasha slowly pulled Kagome to him, his hands firmly on her hips. Kagome tentatively held his shoulders, fisting her hands in his haori. He nuzzled her neck, and the sudden show of affection caught her off guard, causing her to jump. He growled.

"He is taking you as a mate" Sesshoumaru explained quickly.

She blinked as the other two youkai and the demon slayers' jaws dropped. Miroku blinked. "Mate" he wondered aloud.

"Like a wife" Sango answered him on reflex. "The bite near the shoulder indicates that a person already has a mate and cannot be claimed by anyone else. If it were that way..." she trailed off, with an uncertain motion with her hands.

"It would be a fight to the death" Kouga supplied, coming to stand next to Sesshoumaru. It was then that they realized Kouga was taller than Sesshoumaru. However, he hunched to seem shorter. To stand taller than him was a challenge to his authority. Daunted by Sesshoumaru's noble appearance and InuYasha's anger, he looked supremely outdone and disgruntled, not to mention peeved at the latest development. "Maybe I'll challenge him later... but I've got the rest of my pack to think about."

Shippo frowned. "You mean you won't fight InuYasha over Kagome any more" he asked. Kouga's expression shifted from wrinkling his nose to frowning and other various changes. Shippo mouthed the word, 'wow'. Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement.

InuYasha tugged away Kagome's collar, and lightly sniffed along her skin. When Kagome didn't pull away, he gently pressed his teeth to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. Once he was sure she wouldn't struggle, he sank his teeth into her flesh, enough to draw blood but not enough to wound. The line of Kagome's body tensed at the sensation. She didn't pull away, but she didn't lean into it, either. Even as InuYasha licked away the blood, she could feel something shift inside her. It was as if she'd found a part of her that she didn't know was missing.

In the ditch, Kikyou managed to scream in outrage. She tried to claw her way up the hill, but the exertion proved itself too much for her to handle. InuYasha looked at her, eyes full of hatred and contempt. It only made her angrier. He held Kagome with one hand on each of her sides, and held her close again. Kagome leaned into him, because her legs suddenly felt unstable. InuYasha sent a glance to Sesshoumaru, who easily strode down the hill and severed Kikyou's head and neck with his poisonous whip. The poison would have no effect on her - being dead and all - but it stung like nothing else. When her head fell to the ground, she disintegrated into graveyard soil and bones.

Kagome felt herself shake. However, she didn't shake; it was InuYasha. He fell to his knees, in effect taking Kagome down with him. He wrapped his arms around her as if she were a lifeline, and buried his face in her neck. All the humans and young youkai could do was watch helplessly. Kouga raised an eyebrow. Sesshoumaru strode back up to them. At the same time, a blue light hit Kagome in the back, causing her to shiver.

InuYasha looked back up at her with golden honey eyes, truly shocked.


	4. Trash Talk Part 1

Disclaimers: I don't own InuYasha or any of the copyrighted characters or themes and whatnot. Sorry to disappoint you.

A/N: If you review, please tell me what you think of the characterization I've done. I'm feeling pretty insecure about Sesshoumaru and InuYasha. Also, this is Part 1 because not because it is a 2-part chapter, but because there will be more than one chapter titled "Trash Talk."

Also, whatever is written like _(this)_ is Kikyou speakig to Kagome.

**Trash Talk Part 1**

Kagome woke up gently, an unfamiliar but not unwelcome warmth surrounding her. She had a vague thought of being in bed under several quilts, but she realized she was almost sitting up, leaning against something solid, but definitely not laying down. The warmth seemed to have a mind numbing effect on her, making her senses dull.

No, her senses weren't dull, she thought. They just weren't as good as InuYasha's. She was aware of this before, but she hadn't realized just how handicapped humans were compared to youkai.

She burrowed into the warmth around her, her vision drowning in a sea of red and white as she brought her hand up to clutch the course-yet-soft fabric. It was achingly familiar, but her head just didn't want to wake up enough to remember _how _it was familiar.

Amber slits joined the red and white, and Kagome's mind was suddenly fully awake, even if her body wasn't so suddenly a riser. She was sitting in InuYasha's lap, his arms locked around her as he leaned up in a corner of Kaede's hut, for once well away from the door.

"Good morning," Kagome smiled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Morning," InuYasha replied with a sleepy mumble.

"Actually, its mid-afternoon," Miroku interjected. He didn't face them. He was preoccupied with his stew that Kaede handed him. The rest of the group, too, was gathered around the fire pit, happily lapping up the food, still hungry after the seven-day battle.

Oddly, neither InuYasha nor Kagome realized the full extent of their group's injuries. Miroku's left arm was in a sling, and there was a bandage around his head, covering a scalp wound. Sango's right leg was splinted, and her right hand was bandaged. Kouga, not being able to get home with his injuries, was also receiving medical attention from the elderly miko, as well as a hearty helping of stew. His treatments were few, since he was a fast healer, but his ankle was bandaged, and his right arm was covered in medicinal herbs that were supposed to help get the blood flowing through the limb again. Shippo suffered a bruised tail bone, but no other serious injuries. He was expected to make the quickest recovery. But, being the child he was, he wanted some "pretend" injuries, and treated himself to Kagome's first-aid kit. He had Band-Aids on his hands, feet, and even several on his face.

Kagome had a few scrapes and cuts, but no serious physical injuries. She had more psychological damage than physical. InuYasha, on the other hand, was the most physically damaged, though he refused to admit it. More than once he had gotten nicked by the root-like appendages of Naraku, and the strain over the course of the seven-day battle had opened and reopened those wounds until they were worse than when they were inflicted, and a few were even infected. His joints were stiff, his back was kinked in several spots, one knee was swollen, and there was a nick in his ear.

Just then, Sesshoumaru waltzed in like he was entering a grand courtroom instead of a humble wooden hut. Behind him trailed his little green imp and Rin. Rin giggled and joined Shippo by the fireside, wondering about the many Band-Aids that littered his form. Jaken looked disgusted. It was unclear what Sesshoumaru thought, because he kept his face carefully blank.

"Naraku has been properly cremated," he reported. "The villagers, though, are less than pleased to have Kouga or myself in their midst."

"Well it's not like you have to stay here," InuYasha sneered. "We're not holding you against your will or nothin'."

To this Sesshoumaru glared. He was determined to test his theory of InuYasha's mental capacity and ability, but was wary to admit that to his "inferior little brother." So he said, "Rin seems quite happy here. I think we will stay a while."

Jaken cried out in alarm. "B-b-but m-my lord! Th-this place is hardly… appropriate for a youkai such as yourself!" He would have continued, but Sesshoumaru graced him with an icy glare.

"Jaken," he said in a warning tone, "you would do well to remember who it is you are talking to. Should you speak out of turn again, your life shall be forfeit."

The toad-imp bowed his head. "Y-y-yes, my lord," he complied, bowing his head.

"Great," InuYasha grumbled.

"Do you not approve of my presence, little brother?" Sesshoumaru inquired. "In that case, we shall leave."

"But… Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin frowned. "I thought you said that we could stay a while… I wanted to play with Shippo."

"Insolent child!" Jaken exclaimed, whirling on Rin. "Know your place! To challenge Lord Sesshoumaru's word is to look death in the eye!"

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru said sharply. The imp flinched.

"Fine, fine, you can stay," InuYasha wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Just keep an eye on your brat. I don't want her getting in the way of things around here."

.: xXx :.

_(I am Kikyou.)_

I am Kagome.

_(I loved InuYasha once, fifty years ago. He promised to be human for me. He will be human for me.)_

I love InuYasha now, for who and what he is. He doesn't have to be human for me. He turns human every new moon.

_(I guarded the Shikon no Tama with my life.)_

The Shikon no Tama has become the base of my life.

_(InuYasha betrayed me.)_

InuYasha would never betray me.

_(He loved me.)_

He loves me.

_(You are merely a carbon copy. InuYasha only took you as his lover because you remind him of me. He cares nothing for you. You merely find him the jewel shards.)_

We have all the jewel shards now. And he took me as his mate when you were right there at the foot of the hill. He wouldn't have done that had he still wanted you. He even had Sesshoumaru kill you.

_(He wanted revenge on me for leaving him. You were merely a tool for that. He always came to me. He wanted me to merge with you so that he wouldn't have to search for me any more.)_

That's not true. He's been ignoring you for several weeks now. He's gotten over you.

_(That cannot be.)_

Now you're the one that doesn't sound so sure.

_(He still has feelings for me.)_

Yes, he does. Regret, sorrow, pain, pity-

_(He does not pity me! I do not need his pity!)_

Pity isn't something that can be controlled. Either you pity someone or you don't, and that can't be changed very easily.

_(You will regret talking down to me, wench. I swear you will pay for that.)_

How? We share the same body now. Whatever you do to me, you have to do to yourself, too. I don't deny that you love InuYasha, so I don't think you'll take your own life just so that I can't have him.

_(You would place your trust in me so easily.)_

I don't trust you, Kikyou. I just know that there's more of a force to keep you from killing me now. If I die, you die. And there won't be anyone to resurrect you again. For now, I think you had better just settle down.


	5. Sibling Rivalry

Disclaimers: InuYasha and all other related characters and themes belong do Rumiko Takahashi... blah blah blah...

A/N: In the _original_ original version of Three Way Mirror, I had about half of chapter four completed. This is where I first start to stray from the _original_ plot...

IMPORTANT: I usually frown on using Japanese words that don't correspond to names or ranks (i.e. youkai, houshi, taiji-ya, miko, etc.) but I make an exception for Kagome's "sit" command. I use "osuwari" because I really think that the dub "sit boy" is demeaning, and "sit" won't work because I forget and slip up. (Much like Kagome does in many a fanfiction.)

**Sibling Rivalry  
**

"InuYasha, are you sure you're alright?" Kagome inquired. InuYasha brushed her off and continued walking. "Are you sure that you don't want to take a rest? Look, we can stop right here and-"

InuYasha whirled on the girl, silencing her immediately. "I'm _fine_!" he shouted. "I'm not going to die by just going out to get some goddamn fire wood!" He continued on down the path into the forest, but Kagome had already noticed the limp in his right leg. He was determined to not let his injuries hamper his actions, and for the most part, it was working. Kagome had known InuYasha for just a little too long, though. She immediately noticed the stiffness in his movements and the slight wince on his face when he set his weight on his right leg. Now she trailed behind him while he made his way to find firewood for Kaede.

.: xXx :.

_Kaede pursed her lips as she looked at the low stock of chopped firewood in the corner. Rin noticed this, and said, "What is it, Lady Kaede?" _

_To this Kaede smiled and replied, "Nothing to worry your head over, child. I must go fetch firewood before the day is out." _

_Sesshoumaru rose to his feet with fluid grace. "I'll go get the firewood," he announced. There was a visible effort on Jaken's face that kept him from squealing indignantly at the idea. InuYasha, too, stood, though it was more choppy and somewhat hesitant. _

"_No, you **won't**," he growled. "**I **will." _

"_Do not be absurd, little brother," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "You are hardly in any condition to be walking, let alone chopping wood." Sesshoumaru, for the past three days, hadn't referred to InuYasha by name, but as 'little brother'. He even managed to twist the words around into a note that was to be almost insulting._

_InuYasha's face was contorted into a vicious snarl. "What was that?" he demanded between clenched teeth. _

_In an effort to soothe the tension building in her home, Kaede interrupted. "What about you, Lord Sesshoumaru? Surely ye are not without injuries yourself." The elderly miko had taken rather calmly to Sesshoumaru's presence, and found him a great help around the village... Villager permitting._

"_I am well enough to wield an axe," he provided evasively. _

"_So am I," InuYasha challenged him. _

"_The fox would do better than you while in your current state. Let me retrieve the wood, and you can carry the kindling." _

_InuYasha's eye twitched. "Just for the record, dear brother," InuYasha said insultingly, "you aren't that much stronger than me! You'll stay here, and watch your brat," he commanded. With that he stormed out of the hut with a wounded pride, and an air to match. It was then that Kagome saw the slight break in his step as he picked up the axe. As an afterthought, he called back, "Besides, you've only got one arm, and that's thanks to whom?"_

_She cast about quickly to see if anyone else had noticed the extent of InuYasha's injuries. Assuming that they hadn't, Kagome quickly followed after him.  
_

.: xXx :.

"I still don't see why you couldn't just let Sesshoumaru get the wood," Kagome mumbled, thinking that she was out of earshot.

"Because I don't need my stinkin' older _half_ brother taking control of my life!" InuYasha yelled. "Haven't you noticed that he's been doing almost _everything_ lately? He's hardly let me move and inch! I am not some weak pup that needs his protection, and it's high time he realized that, though I don't know what made him change his mind about killing me!"

Heaving a heavy sigh, Kagome caught up to him. "Maybe he just thinks you need to rest. Maybe he's just giving you a break! He hardly seems the type of person that would kick a guy when he's down - or that'd kill them, for that matter."

"I'm not down," InuYasha argued.

"Maybe not, but you're not at your prime," Kagome provided.

"Harrumph," was all he had to say to that.

So apparently Kagome had won for the moment, but she couldn't help feeling defeated. She wasn't quite strong enough to wield a heavy axe, let alone use it to chop firewood. And she almost felt guilty for taking only minor damage during the fight with Naraku. Everyone else had had some sort of heavy blow, but not she. And now she was one of the most able-bodied persons around the hut, and she felt that she could hardly do anything useful.

Quietly, she fell in step with InuYasha, who unconsciously slowed down to less of a storm and more of a stride. She wanted to help, but she didn't quite know how. This wasn't something that could be solved by finding another jewel shard or shooting a purifying arrow. She settled for taking InuYasha's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. He was almost surprised for a moment, but decided he liked the contact.

They walked the rest of the way into the forest where there was prime firewood, hand in hand and in peaceful silence.

.: xXx :.

The axe fell to the ground with a loud thump, InuYasha clutching his shoulder. Kagome was by his side in an instant, the kindling quite forgotten. "InuYasha?" she exclaimed. InuYasha tried, to brush her off, but that only made it worse. Apparently, he had reopened a nasty wound that was on his shoulder. He was bleeding freely again, and it was even dripping down his fingertips. Kagome was in a near panic, and InuYasha kept insisting that he was alright.

Kagome got so frustrated with him that she stomped her foot and pushed his hand away from his shoulder, and pulled his haori down enough to see the wound.

When she saw it, she had to gasp. Surely it was nothing to what Sesshoumaru had done in the past, but that was closed over when she saw it. This wound pierced his muscle all the way through, and was big enough that Kagome was sure she could fit her fist in it. Not that she wanted to, of course. It was just comparison.

"What do you think you're-**Hey**!" InuYasha exclaimed, trying his damnedest to escape Kagome.

"Just stop! Sit down and let me see!" she countered. InuYasha grumbled and sat down, Kagome taking a place behind him to observe his wound more closely.

It was worse from behind. It was obviously a wound made from the back and the hole was wider from that angle. When Kagome took her hands away, they were covered in a thick layer of bright crimson. InuYasha's expression remained amazingly unaffected.

"Wh-what… happened here?" she inquired breathlessly, quite sure that she felt her lunch rising in her throat.

"I got hit," he replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Well, duh!" she cried. "But by what!"

"Naraku."

"But you avoided all his-"

"On the _last_ day, I avoided all his attacks. Or have you forgotten that the entire battle lasted _seven_ days?"

To this Kagome couldn't reply. So she changed the subject.

"We're going back to Kaede's," she announced. "You need immediate medical attention."

"I'm _fine_!"

.: xXx :.

Sesshoumaru suddenly jumped to his feet, abandoning his task of "shucking" corn, though why it was called this, he had no clue. Humans were strange creatures, but the scent of blood was more of an event worth investigating, especially because it came from the direction that InuYasha and Kagome had went earlier. A second later, he was sure that it was InuYasha's blood he smelled.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin inquired, discarding the husks of corn she was peeling off. "Is something the matter?"

"Stay here, Rin," he ordered. With that he vanished after his half-brother.

.: xXx :.

"I told you, I'm fine!" InuYasha was yelling. Kagome paid him no mind, busying herself with finding medicinal herbs. "Would you stop it? I'll be o-" he cut himself off with a wince. He could normally keep his reactions to pain to a minimum, but there was a particularly nasty infection in the wound, and it refused to close up.

"You'll be what? Dead?" The sudden appearance of Sesshoumaru caused Kagome to jump and InuYasha to growl.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing here?" InuYasha demanded.

"Are you aware of just how much blood you've lost already?" the youkai lord asked. "I could smell it all the way down in the village, among the reek of humans."

"Hey!" Kagome cried. Sesshoumaru glanced at her, then turned back to InuYasha.

"Are you so insecure in yourself that you are afraid to show weakness?"

InuYasha jumped to his feet, but swayed unsteadily once there. "I could ask the same of you," was what he wanted to say. Instead he got to "I could" before he reeled backward. Luckily finding a tree to lean on, he tried to glare at Sesshoumaru. The best he could do was staring at the blur with the bigger blur on its shoulder.

Kagome yelped in dismay as InuYasha collapsed. Sesshoumaru was there in a second, catching him before he hit the ground. He made no gesture for Kagome to follow, knowing that she would already follow her mate, and more than likely complain about his treatment all the way back to the village.

"You can't just sling him over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes like that! He's _injured_, can't you tell!"

Yes, not only did he have a deadweight on his shoulder, there was an annoying female chasing after him, and yelling, no doubt. It wasn't like he couldn't hear her when she spoke normally, but she decided that she would punish him by shrieking her lungs out in her shrill human voice. Make no mistake, Sesshoumaru respected Kagome for the fact that she was a powerful, untamed miko, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to be annoyed with her...

_Authoress Note(s): Yes, I don't want to put this in the next chapter because 1. it's not done being rewritten (where'd that disk go?) and 2. it's really not worth it. Oh, 3. I'm going to rant and I said I wasn't going to do that in the beginning of the chapters._

_I read over the new reviews I got (woot! Thank you!) And along with saying thank you I'd also like to announce that my mom does say that I am a dishwater blond, and as such I am entitled to an overdose of blond moments. Basically I'm saying: I know what you said but I don't remember who said it._

_So yeah, the summary (chapter 1: Beforehand) was vague because I'm only up-to-date with what plays on Cartoon Network because I lack the funding to buy the DVDs or manga or even the VHS. (Your b-day's coming soon, Yami, you don't need to get your allowence... Christmas is around the corner, Yami, allowence isn't going to do you any good... blah blah blah, more of that.) So yes, I left out the Tetsusaiga updates. (Being the lazy ass that I am, I'm just going to point out that I spelled Bakryuuha wrong and apologize.) I also knew that there was another attack for the Tetsusaiga before I even knew of Bakryuuha. Diamond Spear... something? Am I close? Anyway, that's why I left that out._

_As for the "sit" thing... Oh, look, I explained it how long ago? Why, I believe that I explained it just before the starting of THIS chapter! Usually when there is something labled IMPORTANT before a chapter, you should make a habit of reading them. I don't like dry A/N myself, but seriously, I've been told that my notes are fairly amusing and not at all hard to read. To quote... someone who shall remain nameless, lest... it...hunt me down... "You keep your notes real, Yami. You're a real person, and even when you're pissed off, you're still funny. (laugh) I could listen to you rant all day, and I'd die laughing." Okay, I really don't think that was a good quote, but hell, it's past midnight so whatever._

_Furthermore, MY COMPUTER IS BUSTED! I don't know when it'll be fixed. This makes... what... four computers I've gone through, including Mom's? Boy that sounds bad... So yes, asking for a quick update will only serve to depress me. You got chapters 4 and 5 sheerly because they were already rewritten when I popped the disk into the school computer at lunch. (Yes, I skipped lunch to write. See how much I love you?)_

_Last (but maybe not least) is that if (in the future) I say that there was a rewrite in a previous chapter, it would be wise of you to go check it out. I'm going to be done ranting now, since my aunt's "machine" sucks and I'm supposed to be sleeping._

_-Yami_


	6. Chance of Death Part 1

Disclaimers: I don't own InuYasha or any related themes or characters. (Would I really be writing fanfiction if I did?)

A/N: This chapter is now dedicated to Kayla. If not for readers like you, I'd have no reason to post this here!

Also, MC/KagandInu, whatever you're going by; I have not gotten to where I left off on MediaMiner yet. There were 17 actual chapters there, and we're only on number six here. We've got a ways to go, so just enjoy the rewrites. :)

2-part chapter, part 2 not quite finished yet. Please don't kill me.

**Chance of Death Part 1**

Sesshoumaru burst into Kaede's hut, InuYasha slung over his shoulder. Kagome entered shortly afterward, clearly agitated and none too happy with the lord of the western lands. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, her eyebrows low and knitting in anger. Her footsteps were short and rapid, following Sesshoumaru.

Curious at the girl's behavior, Sesshoumaru wondered what would happen if he just carried InuYasha around all day. Deciding that it was an experiment well worth its salt, he did a full circuit around the outer wall of the hut and around the fire pit before cutting directly into a corner and depositing his younger brother on a sleeping mat. Kagome followed him throughout the entire display, veritably stomping after him. Not only did Sesshoumaru reach an answer in his mind, Kagome had undoubtedly siphoned off some of her energy that could have otherwise been spent on anger.

Rin, Shippo, and Kilalla, all playing together, were the only ones that missed Sesshoumaru's curious routine. Miroku and Sango noted it early in, and Kaede grew suspicious as soon as she saw InuYasha on his shoulder. Once he sat the hanyou down, the group noted that there was blood on his usually pristine robes. This alerted them to InuYasha's injuries. Though the monk and taiji-ya were in no condition to rush to his side, Kaede did her best impersonation of a jog and hobbled over to the unconscious boy. Miroku's attention turned to Kagome, who would be more likely to answer questions.

"Lady Kagome, what has transpired here?" he elaborately asked.

Kagome's reply way snappish and almost rude, such was the power of her rage. "InuYasha reopened a wound while chopping wood." She turned to the young houshi, and pointed accusingly at Sesshoumaru. Words were flying out of her mouth faster than she could control. It was the only excuse for what she said next. "And _this_ stupid asshole carried him all the way back here over his damn shoulder!" She returned to seething and glaring at Sesshoumaru. Kilalla, having sensed the tension between her and Sesshoumaru, had led the children out of the hut to play in the flower fields before Miroku had even opened his mouth. Thus, Shippo and Rin were spared from hearing Kagome's uncharacteristic outburst. Miroku's eyebrows shot up so far that they were almost lost in his hairline. Sango's jaw would have unhinged and dropped off if it hadn't been stopped by the floor. Sesshoumaru was decidedly ignoring her.

Kaede made a humming, contemplative sound as she gathered several herbs, wondering at the hanyou's effect on Kagome's attitude, not to mention her vocabulary. The elderly miko pulled InuYasha's haori to the side, revealing the piercing wound.

"Kagome," she began, "Help me remove InuYasha's haori." Kagome brushed by Sesshoumaru, pushing him out of the way without touching him. Between Kagome's unfamiliarity with the ties of ancient Japanese wardrobe, and Kaede's arthritis, they eventually removed enough of InuYasha's robes so that his torso was bare and Kaede could easily access his wound. Surveying the damage, Sesshoumaru found something missing. He yanked Kagome away from InuYasha by the collar of her shirt, causing her to stumble.

"This is _your_ fault!" he roared.

Kagome counterattacked with full force, letting her voice rise in order to ring in the youkai's sensitive ears. "For the record, _I_ was the one that was against carrying him all the way down here over your shoulder! _And_ it was _you_ who insisted on doing so! It's your own damn fault that his injuries have gotten so bad, so you should just leave me the hell alone and _put. me. down!_"

"You're supposed to return the mark!" Sesshoumaru shouted. Having only one arm, he couldn't point to InuYasha's shoulder, so he jerked Kagome around so that she could see. "If it weren't for you, he could have healed all this by now!" This was accompanied by an angry shake, and he pushed her out of the way. Turning his back on InuYasha, he continued to shout at the girl that now just barely managed to stay on her feet by herself. "_This_ is why youkai don't like to deal with humans! If InuYasha hadn't felt like he had to prove something to Kikyou, he could have finished the mating ritual and given you the actual mating mark in its appropriate third step!" He was about to say something else, but he turned and looked at InuYasha with a startled expression on his usually stoic face.

"Leave her—" he winced, "the hell alone! She didn't – know!"

Kagome, once raging and out of control, was lucid, in a state of shock. "Wh-what if I… returned the mark now?"

"No," Sesshoumaru defied. "In his current condition, he would not survive the mental stress the mark brings. Simple mortals could not even begin to understand what it means for a youkai to take a human mate."

"I would if you told me!" Kagome shouted.

Kouga apparently didn't like the way the youkai lord was handling this situation. He might have relinquished his shot with Kagome, but they were still rather close. If she wasn't his mate, she could at least be his sister. "The bite is symbolic," he started, glaring at Sesshoumaru though talking to the humans. "When InuYasha bit Kagome, when his teeth pierced her flesh, it symbolized – well – the _mating_." Kouga by this time had realized the glare Sesshoumaru was giving him. A quick scenting of the air told him that Rin was within hearing distance. Kagome and her rather virgin mind took a moment to grasp what he was implying, after which she blushed. Miroku chuckled and looked at the ceiling, while Sango dared him with a glare to comment.

"But," Kagome began, forcing her words through her blush, "how would that cause mental stress?"

"The energy that goes into the merging of the souls is enormous," Kouga said carefully, watching what he said while Rin was within earshot. "The first real bite - which InuYasha totally skipped - can be healed. It's more... a claim than a mating... There's something like it in the human world, I know. Um..."

"An engagement ring?" Sango offered. Kouga snapped his fingers and nodded.

"That's it exactly. It's the equivalent of the human's engagement ring." Sesshoumaru was not please by this comparison. "If the female doesn't wish to mate with the male, the mark will heal and go away. The _actual_ mating mark can't be healed as easily, and the one-sided effort to maintain the mark and enforce the merging souls breaks down the mind if it's not reciprocated within seven days."

Kagome frowned. "But I was only asleep for about a day," she protested. The others in the hut grew silent. Kagome's heart missed several beats as she realized what the silence meant.

She tried to ask a question, but her mouth had run dry, and there was a lump in her throat. Kaede turned to InuYasha, who was drifting in and out of consciousness. Kagome watched him, managing to say in a shaky voice, "H-how long was I out for?"

There was a long silence in which Kaede's bustling about with herbs and smelling salts was the only sound.

It was Sesshoumaru that decided that mortals' feelings were not fit to be spared, and said, "You were out for six days, and as of tomorrow, it will mark seven days."


	7. Chance of Death Part 2

Disclaimers: I don't own InuYasha or any related themes or characters. Yes, exactly the same disclaimer as the last chapter.

**Chance of Death Part 2**

That night, InuYasha's condition worsened. Sesshoumaru forbade Kagome to go near the hanyou, knowing what she would do. Kaede and the others stayed the night in another hut, giving the two a little privacy.

Kagome's lip curled up in an ironic sneer.

Privacy that night was a myth. There were two noble youkai stationed just outside the entrance to Kaede's place of residence, who's ears were sharper than Kagome could imagine, and who's sense of smell could detect even the smallest change in the amount of blood pouring from InuYasha's wounds.

Kagome pulled her knees to her chest, having previously changed into a pair of soft pajamas; a matching pair of shorts and a spaggetti-strap shirt. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her chin on her knees. She willed herself to sit still, even as her desire to do the opposite grew with every second her eyes lingered on her injured hanyou.

One hand felt at the bite mark he'd left with her. It was twinging, and Kagome had been observant enough to realize that it did so every time InuYasha's condition changed. It twinged when the bloodflow slowed, it twinged when it sped up, it twinged when he became conscious, it twinged when he blacked out. Under the twinge was a slow, steady throb, though it wasn't one of pain, but a comforting pressure. She didn't know what it was, and Sesshoumaru wouldn't allow her close enough to figure it out.

She felt worthless, weak, pathetic, and pitiful. She'd been out for a day short of a full week, and InuYasha had done nothing to indicate his condition. Because of this, she was unable to help. Sesshoumaru was mad at her for her ignorance, and the look on Kouga's face when he looked at her clearly told her that he understood, and felt for her. She didn't want any pity.

Kagome stifled a whimper. An unfamiliar pulse wracked her frame, coming from somewhere in the pit of her stomach and spreading through her chest and up her neck into her throat, almost like heartburn. She frowned. Heartburn didn't start from the stomach, did it? Could it have been stomach acid?

Kagome heard an echo, even though she didn't hear it with her ears. She knew perfectly well that the others wouldn't hear it. It was strange, hearing and not hearing at the same time. When she concentrated on the words that seemed to be forming, they became more of a background noise, like white noise but not so calming as confusing. When she tried to ignore it, it grew louder, and more comprehensible. When she ignored it to hear it, it had the same effect of listening actively.

Eventually she was thrown into a state of an almost-meditation, for which she thought "almost" because she didn't know what it was like to meditate.

The echo was laughing.

She decided she didn't like the laugh.

The echo was getting what it wanted; InuYasha was dying, and he would be going to hell.

Kagome was snapped out of her trance with an abrupt sharpness. Like a deep sleep, it pulled back at her. Unable to move, the young miko tried to find something to anchor on to. She found her anchor in the pulse by her neck, and the slow rise and fall of InuYasha's chest that reflected his breathing.

"They're asleep," someone rasped. Kagome blinked rapidly. She saw InuYasha's lips move, but the voice that came out wasn't his own. He swollowed convulsively, and was spurred into a caughing fit. Ignoring how she'd been forced to stay away from him, she jumped up and rushed to his side, propping him up into a sitting position. He turned his face slightly away from her, covering his mouth with his hand.

Between coughs, InuYasha's breath rattled in his lungs. When the fit finally subsided, Kagome's eyes were watering from the sound of InuYasha's breathing.

"Kagome"

"You should try to rest," Kagome interrupted. She started to move to get him in a more comfortable position, and simultaniously reached for some herbs and a basin of water. "Your bleeding still hasn't stopped and"

"Kagome," InuYasha tried to stop her from talking, but she went on anyway, obviously trying to get her mind off of what caused his injuries to worsen. He couldn't understand why she was guilting herself so much when she hadn't even been able to open her eyes for six days, and then she didn't know what was going on. Not to metion Sesshoumaru's total asshole-ness reeking up the place and making her feel worse.

"Sesshoumaru said that if you rested you might be able to get enough strength to pull through this and"

"_Kagome!_" InuYasha hissed, though it wasn't enough to wake the obnoxious youkai outside the entrance.

The miko in question blinked at him, taken aback when he caught her hand in his, attempting to get her attention.

"Sesshoumaru's an asshole," InuYasha announced. Kagome frowned, noting that his voice had mostly recovered, but he was looking pale.

"But he sounded so sure about it, and Kouga even-"

"Bite me," InuYasha scoffed. With all that had happened, Kagome wasn't sure if he meant that literally or figuratively.

"Wh-what?" She inwardly grimaced that her voice sounded so breathy. "B-but both Kouga and Sesshoumaru said that you wouldn't survive the-"

"Oi," InuYasha's voice had by then returned to normal, apparently working out whatever was in his throat. "Have you noticed that neither of them have mates? Who's to say they're experts?"

"Who's to say that you-!"

InuYasha covered her mouth with his hand, giving her a clear message that she was being too loud, and could wake up the youkai outside. She pouted, but quieted down. He still hadn't relinquished his hold on her hand, which they both realized quite suddenly.

They realized this suddenly because their hands had started to glow a pink color with Kagome's miko energy. InuYasha was confused because it wasn't hurting, and Kagome was terrified because she didn't know what was happening. Experimentally, InuYasha released her. Almost instantly he felt sick again. He didn't remember ever feeling better, but realized that it must have happened gradually, which was why he didn't notice it.

Kagome, for her part, felt cold. She hadn't noticed it before that she was warm, but now that she felt the temperature of only a few minutes ago, she wanted that warmth back. She thought this only in the back of her mind though, because her focus was her concern over InuYasha's slightly pained expression. She grabbed his hand this time, lacing their fingers together and refusing to let go. If her miko powers felt like healing InuYasha, well, by God, she'd heal InuYasha!

The glow around their hands returned, and brighter than before. The pressing echo that was in a remote corner of Kagome's mind was completely squelched, though she knew it was still there. Both she and InuYasha were completely fixated on the glow. She found herelf in a similar situation as before, where when she concentrated on the glow, it dimmed. When she tried to break her concentration and say something to InuYasha, it brightened. When she tried to ignore it in order to watch it, it receeded. Again in that trance-like state where she was aware and unaware of the glow, she fed the energy.

She found her aura blanketing InuYasha and filling the room. She knew every place he was injured, even down to the smallest bruise. They stood out brightly, and Kagome realized without realizing that she could see his aura. His wounds stood out in black clouds against the field of red, and her own pink aura concentrated in these clouds, dispersing them and healing him.

InuYasha's aura responded in kind, not challenging Kagome's for dominance, but nurturing a mutual understanding that there could be no constant dominant in this relationship. At the moment, Kagome was the dominant. InuYasha's youkai rebelled at the idea, but as soon as the injuries were healed, his aura swelled, encasing Kagome with his presence as he caught her in his arms. The youkai was satisfied with the turn of the dominance, and soothed Kagome's strained aura. She grew limp, mentally exhausted.

"_What just happened? How can I help, Kagome?_"

"Just need to rest," Kagome groaned, snuggling into InuYasha's bare chest, and the warmth he offered. "Don't worry about it."

Kagome was asleep by the time that InuYasha had shaken off enough shock to say, "I didn't say anything."


	8. Impending Doom

Disclaimers: I don't own InuYasha, I never have, and never will.

A/N: Major cliffie, going to alternate writing Three Way Mirror and Desert Rose, longer wait. Questions? If you leave a question in a review, I won't respond in a chapter and I won't e-mail you. I'll take it that you're wondering "aloud." If you want your question answered, e-mail me. (I'm saying this because I know there will be questions for this chapter, and this applies ot all chapters.)

Review Responses:

_Kayla_: Deal:)

_agent-doo_: Strangely, that's what I was listening to when I wrote it...

_fluffyrachel_: Sorry to make you wait; life intervenes. So does Desert Rose...

_SilverStarWing_: Would you mind elaborating? I don't think that's a good "what the...?"

Also, as a _last_ note: I mentioned in the ending of the fifth chapter (and, by the way,I'm really sorry for ranting), _Sibling Rivalry_, that my computer was busted. Well, it's been reincarnated! No more using library or crappy out-of-date Dell computers for THIS authoress...

**Impending Doom**

That morning, Miroku was the first to wake. Avoiding jarring his injuries, he dragged his sluggish body into a sitting position. His head spun, his insides lurching. It lasted only a moment, then he felt normal. Normal except for the twinge of pain in his knee as he stood. He looked about the borrowed hut through bleary eyes. He was in the middle of the room, by the fire pit where he fell asleep. Sango went to sleep out of arm's reach of him, but she presently lay next to him. He was just beginning to wonder at it when Kouga barged in.

"Oi, houshi," he barked. "Get on your feet, we have job for you." When Miroku took too long getting to his feet, Kouga crossed the room to drag him by his good arm. Miroku was surprised to note that Kouga's grip didn't pull on his injuries, and surmised that he must have pulled along members of his pack in the same manner.

Sango woke in time to see the door fall closed behind the two.

In Kaede's hut, Sesshoumaru stood by the door, looking emotionless as always. Something was different about him though, which Miroku could see in his narrowed eyes. He wasn't happy about something. The remaining traces of a spell that followed him and Kouga must have been what caused his fowl mood.

Slowly, Miroku took in the rest of the hut. There were dying embers in the fire pit, as if the fire had been kept burning late into the night. The early-morning sun managed to make its way into the hut through the windows, shedding it's somewhat helpful grey light. Something in the air didn't sit right with him since he woke up, as if there was a forboding cloud hanging around the village. He forced the thought from his head, and continued his appraisal.

InuYasha lay on his side on a sleeping mat, though it wasn't the same one that he was on the evening previous. He lay on his side so that he faced away from the three intruders. Kagome was nowhere in sight, and the bloody mat surrounded by herbs and salves where InuYasha used to lay dieing was still bloody, and covered with the healing substances, but there was a familiar aura about it. Miroku approached it.

The blood was dried and crusted in some parts, while there were a few small puddles of the sticky liquid still shining in the light. On a clean spot, Miroku touched two of his fingers to the mat. Instantly he recognized the aura surrounding the mat, but at the same time he didn't. It was different than the two auras he associated with the "feels" of the auras. One was light, cottony, and vaguely foriegn in a sense that he could never understand, like one of the kinds of sugarry confections that Kagome brought back from her time. Cotton candy, she called it. It looked like colored cobwebs, but melted in the mouth, leaving a sweet flavor. It was almost impossible to tell how much of the stuff was there at first. The other aura felt almost slick, like there was a fine layer of blood around it, but there was a texture beneath it that Miroku could only vaguely guess at. It was like the wrapping on the handle of a samurai's sword, only frayed and snagged, like the tetsusaiga. It was unyielding, unmeasurable by outside standards. The two auras had merged somehow, as if each had seeped into the other. Miroku focused for a moment, trying to identify the new feel of the aura. It was slick, like InuYasha's, but Miroku felt that if it was a tangeable thing, the slick would rub off if a finger was slid down it, and the residue would be cottony. The texture beneath seemed pliable like the cotton but rough like the sword, as if it would be able to be formed into a myriad of different shapes and sizes, and still remain strong.

There was a fourth aura, which Miroku associated with ice and blood, and didn't mix at all with the two auras the houshi was examining. Recognizing it as Sesshoumaru, he pulled himself out of his thoughts.

"What has happened here?" Sesshoumaru inquired.

The houshi paused for a moment, straightening himself into a standing position. "It would seem that the auras of InuYasha and Kagome have merged somehow." Both youkai in the room paused, their sight falling toward InuYasha. From the altered angle, Kagome was visible, snuggled up to InuYasha, and completely hidden from sight from the doorway. This surprised Miroku, as was obvious in the widneing of his eyes, miniscule step back, and his raised eyebrows. In taking the step back, he stepped on a squeeking flooboard. InuYasha's ear twitched.

It was almost comical. Kouga could hear the change in InuYasha's breathing, and saw his ear twitch. He was awake. His ears swivelled to each person in the room, starting with Kagome. Of course, since she was closest to him. Next was Miroku, who was dismissed with a slight twitch. Then Kouga. His ears flicked back and forth uncertainly, but then moved on to Sesshoumaru. One ear flattened back, and the other stayed trained on Sesshoumaru, as if InuYasha was miffed at him being there and didn't want to let him get away. The ear that was previously flattened turned to Kagome once more, and flattened back before assuming a neutral position. InuYasha forced his breathing to even out, and he imitated sleep.

It would have worked better if Kagome hadn't decided to wake up at that exact moment. She blinked, recognized some expression on InuYasha's face, and groaned a quiet, "Make them go away."

Sesshoumaru was growling.

.: xXx :.

_(You are twice a fool for putting your trust in InuYasha twice again.)_

Would it hurt any part of me or you to leave me alone?

_(You are not strong enough to bear the blood of a youkai, let alone worthy to bear InuYasha's children.)_

That's implying a lot, considering that the mating was only completed last night.

_(Do not be so dense as to not realize what this mating means.)_

I'm only more dense than normal because I'm carrying around a deadweight in my head. I have you to thank for that, don't I?

_(I will not easily forget your insults, girl.)_

.: xXx :.

There was yelling, crashing, swiping, kicking, and dodging. Sesshoumaru was holding Kagome by her shirt collar, and avoiding all of InuYasha's attempts to retrieve her from his grasp. Kouga was trying to help, but Sesshoumaru - even one-handed - moved quicker than them. In the time that Kagome was unconscious, Kouga had added his jewel shards to the vial that was in Kagome's bag. He sorely regretted doing so, when he wanted them most. Kagome was still pack to him.

Miroku tried his best to stay out of the way, but grew peeved that he had almost been knocked over twice. His good hand fell on something solid, and something he could throw. Sesshoumaru's back was turned to him when he chucked it. Sesshoumaru backed up to avoid one of InuYasha's attacks, and met the empty clay urn half-way, adding his own momentum to the force of the crash. The urn shattered. It was just enough to make Sesshoumaru slip up for a moment, and he had to tighten his grip on Kagome in order to keep a hold of her. She wasn't strong enough to bear his father's bloodline if she had to cheat in order to complete the mating ritual.

Something in the air caused a change in Kagome. In avoiding a combined assault by Kouga and InuYasha - who were working surprisingly well together - Sesshoumaru's knuckles grazed Kagome's neck. His skin sizzled, and he reflexively let go of her, almost flinging her away with a hiss. She landed on her knees, leaning to one side, her bangs covering her eyes. InuYasha's attention was focused on Kagome, though he dared not to go near her right away. There was something wrong. Something different that had nothing to do with the changes that occured the night previous.

Kagome's head raised slowly, giving the youkai and houshi enough time to see her eyes shift from grey-blue to a complete grey. InuYasha gasped, recognizing the hatred that burned behind her eyes that was familiar yet unfamiliar on Kagome's face. She was saying something incoherent.

"I will deal with Kagome myself!"

Kikyou's voice flew from between Kagome's lips, and InuYasha reeled back in some sort of undescribably agony akin to the symptoms of weakness attributed to the one-sided mating mark.


	9. Regression

Disclaimers: I don't own InuYasha or any related characters today, but the agents have notified me that as of tomorrow they are MINE! I hope they get the address right this time. Last time I filed for a few characters from Yu Yu Hakusho and they sent them to Shi-chan. It was strange, because her backyard was already a jungle but Kurama just... just... Let's just say that no one wants to go back there any more. At least her uncle. Shi-chan was perfectly fine with it; she likes the man-eating plants because she's female.

A/N: Let's skip this and get right to the action after that evil cliffie, ne? I'd just like to say that I like the way I've got Miroku here with his comparisons and all.

Review Responses:

_SilverStarWing_: You would think so, wouldn't you?

_agent-doo_: I truely admire your honor. Personally, I'd go to the site with more and

**Regression**

This was not Kagome. That was all that InuYasha thought. He tried to push through the sheer agony of the one-sided mark, tried to focus on what was happening. He pushed himself against a wall in order to stay upright.

Miroku was in a state of shock, having recognized the change in the aura of the room and the condition of InuYasha. The hanyou had regressed to his physical state from the previous night, though his wounds were still healed. The weakness he suffered from because of the mating mark had to have something to do with it, though he didn't know how. Kagome, for her part, was not Kagome at all. That sugarry sweet sense that he got from Kagome's presence turned to ice and stagnant waters, which the houshi closely associated with Kikyou.

"InuYasha," Miroku blinked, not taking his eyes off of the not-Kagome. "Kagome has almost chaged into Kikyou." There was no real way to phrase his observations, so he hoped that InuYasha made the connection himself.

Behind Kagome, Kouga managed to grab one of her arms and knock her to the ground by hitting her behind her knees. He placed his knee between her shoulder blades, pinning her other arm to the floor. He was knocked away by a well-aimed fist in his jaw. It was anatomically incorrect for the not-Kagome to have punched him, wasn't it?

InuYasha stood above Kouga, recoiling his hand from a punch. The possessed Kagome had gotten to her feet, and was heading for the quiver of arrows and bow that lay by the entrance. Sesshoumaru stepped in her way, but was blocked by a blast of Kagome's miko powers. He had to take several steps to the side to keep on his feet. When Kagome turned again to the quiver and bow, they were gone.

The quiver was on Kouga's back, the bow easily snapped, though the released tension in the string recoiled and slashed at Kouga's face and arms, leaving shallow red cuts.

Having seen Kouga snap the bow, Kikyou, in Kagome's body, made to lunge at him with a blast of her purifying energy from her palm. InuYasha was suddenly in front of her, redirecting her hand upwards, rendering the concentrated energy useless. His other hand was around the wrist of her opposite arm, though his grip wasn't tight.

An evil chuckle worked its way from Kagome's throat, in Kikyou's voice. "You can't hurt me," Kikyou taunted. "You'll hurt poor little Kagome, too."

Kikyou grimaced, as if she was struggling to stay in control. She tried to pull away from InuYasha, and would have succeeded if Miroku hadn't realized what was happening, and shouted, "Kagome is gaining control, InuYasha! Don't let go of her!" After which InuYasha released Kagome's wrists in favor of giving her what looked like a bear hug, pinnin her arms to her sides as she struggled.

With a shudder that eased all the tension out of Kagome's body came a sense of health to InuYasha again. "I-InuYasha..." it was Kagome's voice, and InuYasha breathed a sigh of relief. "What just happened?"


	10. Ai no Sakura Part 1

Disclaimers: Well, the agents strike again! Just when I think I'm finally getting what I want, they have to call up and say that the Inu-tachi wants another day with Takahashi-sensei. Okay, so that means a one-day delay…

A/N: I'm so sorry! I haven't had time to update because of school and idiotic computer problems and signing up for new classes and... (breaks into hysteric sobs) Sorry! I'll skip the reader responses and get right to the chapter!

**Ai no Sakura Part 1**

Sesshoumaru never expected InuYasha to recover. No one had expected Kikyou to be able to take control of Kagome. Sesshoumaru and Kouga were markedly (no pun intended) interested in the workings of the new mating bond between hanyou and miko. Kagome felt like she had eloped, and now had to face the parents.

_The wealthy, high-ranking parents that look nothing like me,_ Kagome thought. _Well, I guess Kouga and I have the same hair color..._

InuYasha was again fully clothed, much to Kagome's dismay. He wasn't clothed in his usual fire-rat haori, though. That had been crusted with too much blood and torn too many times for him to wear comfortably. Instead he covered himself with a silk kimono that Miroku had bought off a traveling salesman just a week past. His motives were still unclear, but InuYasha had to wear it anyway, since there were no village men his size. The kimono consisted of a deep blue hakama that seemed to have a vortex of patterns embroidered onto it, and a yukata that was a shimmering black. Everyone suspected that the high-quality clothing would not last the day, but Miroku seemed hell-bent on squandering his money.

"In other words, she cheated," Sesshoumaru remarked, pointedly not looking at Kagome. InuYasha felt his anger rising.

"You can't exactly call it cheating if she's not a youkai," he contested. Kagome felt strange, having InuYasha defend her verbally for a change, but couldn't help feeling insulted while they talked about her almost as if she wasn't there. "Besides, other than the initial mark, nothing is set in stone about how the return mark is made."

"It's practically an unwritten _law_ that it be returned the same way it was given," Kouga growled. Something in his tone made it seem like he was on InuYasha's side, but his words defied that implication. Sango was suddenly wishing he'd make sense.

While the youkai and hanyou continued to bicker, Sango sat by Kagome. After watching Miroku get dragged out of the hut that grey morning, she'd been worried for his well-being. She had painstakingly made her way to Kaede's hut, though she made sure that the pain on her face was gone by the time she entered. She was lucky to have found a walking stick on the outside of the house she slept in, otherwise the strain on her right leg would have crippled her.

Either that or she would have had to hop down the lane on one foot, and that hardly seemed like something a dignified taiji-ya would do.

"I think," Kaede interjected, entering the hut, "that it is because the Shikon no Tama is not whole that Kikyou has her own presence in Kagome's mind."

"Right now it seems that InuYasha is suppressing Kikyou through the mark," Miroku stated. Everyone's attention turned to him. "I can sense it," he grinned sheepishly, realizing that he would have to explain himself. "I can sense InuYasha's aura surrounding Kagome's, focused around the mark. The... feel of Kikyou in Kagome is suppressed because of it."

There was a long stretch of silence. Kagome fidgeted under the awkward quiet.

"Well," Miroku burst loudly with an outstretching of his uninjured arm. "Why are we letting this get us down? InuYasha should be able to continue to be able to suppress Kikyou as long as he doesn't fight anyone or anything, and we have a well-earned break ahead of us! Why don't we just relax and enjoy the festival?"

There was a perfect beat of silence.

"Festival?"

.: xXx :.

It was Sango's mission to get Kagome to wear the kimono Miroku bought. It was apparent now that his intentions behind InuYasha's kimono were to give him no excuse to back out of the festival. Since Sango was injured, a committee of village girls helped Sango push Kagome into the hut that was decorated with cherry and plum blossoms around the mat that served as a door. While two girls pulled Kagome along, another, more patient girl helped Sango to the hut.

Once inside, Sango found a surprise waiting for her. She knew of the kimono Miroku had bought for Kagome. She'd seen him finishing his bartering with the merchant, but had assumed that it was the only one he bought. It seemed reasonable, since Kagome was the only one without the proper attire for the era.

There were two kimonos set out, one that she had seen before and one she hadn't. The girl that she was leaning on was leading her over to the second kimono.

.: xXx :.

Shippo was a fireball of russet energy, bouncing up and down and playing with the other village children. He delighted in the fact that his heritage was overlooked, and so had fun teaching the others how to properly spin a top. He pointedly ignored InuYasha, who was sulking just outside the hut because he'd been separated from Kagome. Somehow he managed to look completely disgruntled, and sit in a position that would wrinkle such a nice kimono. Yet, when he stood up, the kimono was perfectly intact. It was something to wonder at, but Shippo didn't let it spoil his fun with the children.

"What the hell is this damn festival supposed to be about, anyway?" InuYasha demanded as Miroku exited the hut he had used to change. It took him a while because of his arm, but he managed on his own.

"It is a festival of new beginnings," he explained. "There are dances that are used as a sort of fortune-telling, and lanterns sent down a river to signify the goodbye of past worries and problems."

Giggling masses of girls were walking through the village. InuYasha detected Kagome's scent behind them, and grew curious as to why the village women were hiding her. Sango was with them, too.

The women parted, revealing Sango and Kagome. InuYasha blinked.

Kagome wore a silk kimono of a shimmering white shade, tied with an obi as blue as InuYasha's hakama. There were delicate patterns of cherry blossoms embroidered into the sleeves, which traced up her shoulders and around her neck. The kimono was edged with a ribbon of pink silk. The same shade of pink silk was used to tie back her hair on one side. The overall effect left him gaping like a fool. While he missed the amount of skin her skirt revealed, he decided it was worth it for a while.

While InuYasha stared at Kagome, Miroku smiled pleasantly at the vision of beauty that was Sango. Even though she was injured and bandaged, the bright pink and pale purples of her kimono put a healthy glow to her tanned skin. The sleeves were long enough that they hid the bandages on her hand, and with the swish of the silk around her ankles, her limp didn't seem so much of a limp but a sway. Her obi was purple, pink patterns of vines etched along the edges. Purple and pink blossoms were pressed boldly against the white of her sleeves. Without the large boomerang on her back, she looked supremely feminine, and he supposed it was just that he was being too foolish before to ever really appreciate just how feminine she was and could be clad in gentle colors. She wore her hair down in a silken wave that reached her waist.

He supposed he looked absolutely atrocious, what with his arm in a sling and his head bandaged up like it was. Even the royal purple yukata and hakama couldn't do anything to improve his image, he was sure. He supposed, though, that compared to his horrible image, he could at least make Sango look all the better.

"You ladies look as lovely as ever," Miroku smiled. Sango blushed, shifting her weight to her uninjured leg. Kagome smiled nervously, uncertain about how to maintain such fine clothes.

"Miroku," the giggling village women beamed, "you have to come help lady Kaede with lighting the lanterns."

"It's still early morning," InuYasha scoffed, recovering his eyes as he stood.

One of the girls pouted at him. "It's going to be so dark and dreary today, and there are supposed to be lanterns set out to brighten the village," she explained.

Sango moved to help with the lanterns, but had to shift her weight gingerly on her injured leg. Miroku walked up alongside her, and offered her his staff. "Please, my dear Sango," he said, "don't push yourself too hard today. Sit down when you get tired instead of pushing through it. No one would be able to blame you." Sango almost expected a hand to descend upon her rear, but Miroku was walking away without a single pass. She blinked, realizing that she held his staff in her hands.

"Sango, Sango, Sango!" Shippo was jumping up and down in front of the Taiji-ya in an attempt to get her attention. "Come look at the pretty papers!" An over-enthusiastic kit was soon pulling Sango along, to show her whatever it was that had caught his attention and held it so raptly.

When she arrived at the sight where Shippo saw the papers, she realized he meant origami cranes, all done in light paper and hanging from between four posts set up in the village square. It was set up in a mobile, and the slightest breeze sent the cranes and other animals gently swaying. Children were jumping up and down under the mobile, blowing at them as if their breath could make them move.

"There's a ball hanging from the middle, Sango!" Shippo exclaimed. There are a whole bunch of braided ribbons coming from it, too! It's supposed to be filled with fruit blossoms!"

"How can you tell that?" Sango asked.

Shippo grinned. "I can smell it."

'_Mission completed_,' Shippo thought. '_Now maybe InuYasha and Kagome can have some time alone._'

.: xXx :.

With the festival, celebratory foods were being made and handed out to everyone. The smell of warm rice-cakes proved too powerful for either miko or hanyou, and the two found themselves with a basket of rice cakes, fruit, pickles, and strips of beef. They chose to occupy a tree that overlooked the square, where they could see the excited people milling about.

Kagome handed InuYasha a rice-cake, which he accepted with a mutter of thanks. Kagome sighed, bringing her knees up to her chin and watching the horizon. She hoped for some sunlight for the afternoon, but the dead grey light of morning was still upon them, and was none too promising about lifting. InuYasha, while eating another rice-cake, looked up into the tree branches, wondering at why fruit blossoms would be a cause for a festival.


	11. Ai no Sakura Part 2

Disclaimers: I have had, like, NO TIME these past... however long it's been since I've updated. I've had to sort out the papers with the lawyers to get the Inu-tachi, and I've had schoolwork, and when I'm not chasing around my brothers and sister and cousin I'm actually SLEEPING! Well, not really. To top it off, though, I'm having major emotional problems that I guess are typical for any teenager. Hah, I'd like to see anyone top THIS outside of a soap opera.

A/N: 3-part chapter because I decided to do a morning-noon-and-night sort of thing.

I have had some **_major_** and I mean **_MAJOR_** computer problems lately. But never fear! YnT is here! (Finally.)

I am now posting this on both fanfiction(dot)net and mediaminer(dot)org again. The rating on mm(dot)org is now R. (I always prefered movie ratings over the fiction ratings. Everyone deals with them on a lot more regular basis.) Those of you that dare ponder what that means, ponder away. The plot is moving a lot slower than I thought.

**Ai no Sakura Part 2**

To clarify your questions you posted on Mediaminer, OOC is out of character, and OC is original character. Yes, I do have other fics. Just check out my bio page. The shapeshifeter stuff will be clarified more when I get to it. (Oh dear, that was an evil teaser for those that haven't read the original... ;;)I'm sorry it takes me so long to get a chapter out. TT But actually, in the original, I didn't give for a period of healing before I completely jumped into the plot. So I have to come up with new stuff for AnS. I think I have an idea now... Hmm... odd how that works... 

Shippo decided that the festival that day was special, and his deviousness could be forgiven. As soon as he had Sango sitting down, he was racing off to the temple to find Miroku, now that the lanterns were lit. It took a while, but with good acting and his second, third and fourth winds, he was able to get Miroku into the same area Sango was in without rousing the houshi's suspicions. He then conveniently disappeared, and tracked down InuYasha and Kagome. With his fifth wind, he managed to lead the two back to the village.

The kit presently sat on InuYasha's shoulder, since his were broader than Kagome's. He chattered endlessly while the two made their way down to the village. They were hardly nearing Kaede's place again when they were swept off by a mob of frenzied girls all moving in one direction with a collective enthusiasm. Kagome was swept up into a spinning dance that moved in circles. InuYasha managed to stay out of it, and stood his ground in the outer ring of onlookers. Shippo had again mysteriously disappeared.

Pausing to catch his breath, Shippo slumped against the wall of a random hut. Kilalla appeared at his side, and nudged his shoulder. The little youkai pulled in a deep breath, and raised his head to smile at the fire cat. "You know," he said. "Talking like that really hurts your throat. I don't know how humans do it." His smile widened. "You're lucky sometimes, you know. No one expects you to talk."

.: xXx :.

"Sango," Miroku blurted out. After being quite abandoned by a young kitsune several minutes ago, he wandered about the part of the village he was unfamiliar with. He rounded a corner, coming to the entrance of an inn, and found Sango sitting on a bench. His staff rested against her shoulder, fingers laced around the shaft, and her head rested against the wall of the inn. She hadn't heard him, for she retained her relaxed position.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and with a tree being right beside the inn, several petals had fallen on her. It took him a moment to realize that she was sleeping lightly. He quietly moved to sit down beside her.

Sango for her part remained unmoved. She could sense that someone was coming around the corner - she had years of sharpening her senses for hunting youkai to thank for that. She was too tired to converse with anybody, and pretended to sleep.

Recognizing the person as Miroku, she decided to ignore him. His early morning chivarly was most likely nothing more than the after-effects of a night of fitful sleep and a jarring awakening. She felt the bench move beneath her as the boards groaned gently at the additional weight. She was lost in her thougts afterward.

Miroku fell asleep by the fire pit the previous evening. He woke, still in a sitting position, and stoked the fire. He fell asleep again later, leaning back on his good arm. She had hardly realized that he was alseep that time before he was awake again. The next time he fell asleep, she was dozing off herself. He kept leaning forward... and more forward... and forward... He was almost in the fire before Sango managed to push him back. He fell to his back, his injured arm resting on his chest.

In order to move him away from the fire, she had to move closer to him. She had found herself reluctant to move away from him again. She was content to watch him sleep. He hardly seemed like such a letch when he was asleep. Something stirred within her.

He had looked almost... cute.

Before she knew it, she was asleep, and not long after, he was dragged from the hut by a perterbed wolf youkai.

She opened her eyes, having felt the weight of Miroku's gaze on her. He had looked away by the time that she glanced at him.

"Sango," he began uncertainly, "what do you plan to do... now that you have avenged your village?"

.: xXx :.

Kagome spun and twirled with the other young village women. The dance moved in two circles, both in rings facing outward. The young men of the village stood in another sort of ring, but they were stationary, and definately did not hold hands. The girls were giggling, and the euphoria was contagious; Kagome was laughing along with them in minutes, and the men were smiling. In the brief glances she got of InuYasha, she could have sworn he was almost smiling, too.

The girls released her, and she followed suit as they twirled, still constantly moving in the circles. The sleeves of their kimonos fluttered around them, creating an effect that almost made them look like they had splendidly-colored wings.

Trying to retain his scowling facade, InuYasha had eyes only for Kagome as she danced with the other girls. It was curious, since most festival dances that he knew of were slow. Seeing her caught up in such a malestrom of ecstatic village girls reminded him of just how simple she was. There was a point in time where he doubted if he could make her happy.

She was sick, and returned to her own time to recooperate. She left without him knowing. He followed her once discovering her absensce, sorely enraged that he had retrieved cold remedies all for nothing. Then she had to go and study for her stupid "test".

He made a cup of his mother's remedy for her after she was done studying and her friends had left. She had seemed so happy that he had thought of her, even though the concoction smelled something aweful. Souta had gestured frantically for him not to explain what was in it, since he had seen him preparing the drink.

The following day, she was positively beside herself with delight that she could take her test. He began to think then that maybe he _could_ make her happy.

Several girls by that time had flung themselves out of the circles, too dizzy to stay upright for much longer. They were courtiously caught by various men in the surrounding circle. Kagome stumbled, propelling herself out of the circle and directly into InuYasha's arms. He caught her automatically, and she grasped him for support.

She beamed up at him, and something amazing happened.

InuYasha laughed.

Kagome's eyes moved rapidly from side to side as her world spun, and the sight of her in all her dizzy glory was too much for him.

.: xXx :.

"What do I plan to do?" Sango repeated. She paused for a moment, and he nodded. Sitting up straight and sighing, she said, "I don't know."

Miroku was silent, but Sango had the feeling that he sorely wanted to say something. She waited for him to speak his mind, but he didn't say anything.

"Why do you ask?" she wondered.

He was quiet for a moment. "I was wondering what I was going to do, myself. Now that my curse has been lifted, I don't know what to do, either. I was hoping that knowing what you were going to do would help me decide."

"I think I'm going to follow Kagome and InuYasha until they merge the two halves of the jewel," Sango reported after a while.

Miroku nodded. "That's a good plan," he said. "I think I'll do the same."

Inside, he knew he couldn't bear to be away from Sango for very long. After their almost-victory against Naraku, just before they fought Kaguya, he was certain of this. He didn't want to be separated from Sango again.

"How long do you think it'll take before we can find a way to fix the jewel?" Sango wondered aloud.

Heaving a long sigh and leaning back against the wall, Miroku said, "Let's not worry about that right now."

.: xxXXxx :.

_**ChrisKaz958** of MM(dot)org_ To clarify your questions, OOC is out of character, and OC is original character. Yes, I do have other fics. Just check out my bio page. The shapeshifeter stuff will be clarified more when I get to it. (Oh dear, that was an evil teaser for those that haven't read the original...)

**_Kayla: _**I'm sorry it takes me so long to get a chapter out. But actually, in the original, I didn't give for a period of healing before I completely jumped into the plot. So I have to come up with new stuff for AnS. I think I have an idea now... Hmm... odd how that works...


	12. Ai no Sakura Part 3

Disclaimers: Uwahhh... I still don't own the Inu-tachi. I had a reservation to pick them up at the airport, but they said that since I wasn't there to pick them up (I was out of state for a while) that I couldn't have them, and they sent them back! I was so close!

A/N: Sorry for the no-update-ness and (for those of you on mediaminer) the original TWM getting booted off the island. So to speak, anyway. For those of you on fanfiction(dot)net, that means you can't go peek at the originals any more. Nyah!

**Ai no Sakura Part 3**

The day brightened later that afternoon, and it warmed up considerably. The setting sun created a pink-and-orange lighting as the village people gathered at the river. Miroku and Kaede, as well as a number of other people, held lanterns that were fastened onto poles that stood a little taller than the bearer. With the canopy of trees that filtered the sunset's light into dappled patches of color, the lanterns were the main source of light. The candles that flickered within the paper containments created sparks on the running water.

A few small lanterns set on proportionate boats sat on the banks of the river, awaiting deployment. Couples fussed over their floats, trying to make sure there were no defects that would cause their precious symbols to sink in the water. The children became irritable and fussy after such a long day, and their parents struggled to keep them under control.

Kagome had selected a small white-and-red lantern for herself and InuYasha, with the symbol for "beginning" on it in black ink. A few lanterns started down the river, and the noise in the crowd died down to watch the candle-lit water sparkle in little circles around the lanterns. Watching them go down the river, Kagome suddenly realized how much this festival could mean to someone. This was someone's chance to start over. This was someone's new beginning.

Her gaze turned to InuYasha. The hanyou watched the lights travel downstream, the feeling hitting him as suddenly as it hit her. His attention was held fast by the lanterns, so he didn't notice her watching him. Something inside her started turning flips. This was their new beginning. Together. No more looming doubts about Kikyou. No more jealous fights between InuYasha and Kouga. No more fear of Naraku using them against one another. And their being together couldn't be changed, if she remembered the way the marks worked correctly.

"What?" InuYasha asked, finally realizing that she was watching him. Kagome just smiled and shook her head, and set her lantern afloat on the river. She watched it drift on for a while, then turned back to her hanyou.

There was a worried look on his face for a second, but it was gone before she could be sure it was there in the first place.

Sango sat on the back of the river a little further downstream than InuYasha and Kagome. One leg was tucked under her, her injured leg in a careful position that wouldn't pinch any nerves. Miroku stood by her, lantern-on-a-staff in hand. He hadn't thought about it at the time, but he realized that the lantern that Kaede gave him had the symbol for "love" on it. He wondered if the elderly miko was trying to give him a sign, telling him "go for it" or warning him "keep ye paws off."

While the lovely Taiji-ya watched the lanterns drift away, Miroku found his thoughts imitating the lights. He wasn't cursed any more. He didn't need an heir any more, if his ploy for getting one had ever worked anyway. A frown creased his brow as he thought of Kaede's possible message. If it was indeed a "go for it" sign, it could be because both he and Sango were at a point where they were no longer being driven by their pasts. They had the opportunity to move on with their lives, to strive for a future instead of against the past. It used to be Miroku's dearest desire. Now his dearest desire sat before him, watching the festival lanterns float down the river. His thoughts turned bitter as he thought of Kaede's second message, "back off." Did she think he was going to love and leave Sango? In all reality, what evidence had he given her to make her think he would be loyal? Hadn't he been the lecherous one, the one that hit on anything that walked and talked and sported a nice rack?

As for Sango, her thoughts weren't really on the lanterns. '_Why _didn't_ he ask me?_' she wondered in her head. Did Miroku think she was unfit to ask to bear his child? She knew it was a moot point now, now that he didn't have to produce an heir to his curse? And what was up with that in the first place? Why in the _world_ would he want to have a child just so that they could live, grow up, and be devoured by that blasted hell-hole in their hand? Was it in order to insure that there would always be someone to try and defeat Naraku? The youkai had made enough enemies for that to happen even if Miroku _hadn't_ produced an heir, _or_ defeated Naraku. So why had he been such a womanizer?

A thought struck her. It lodged in her throat, and she was unable to swallow past it. Was it because he was insecure? Those women were only passing whims, and he never remained with any of them. Did he feel that he had to parade around with false bravado to hide the fear that he would one day be swollowed by his cursed hand? She snuck a glance at him through the curtain of her hair, pretending to watch the lanterns flow from further upstream.

He was watching her. It would have unsettled her that he had been watching her for so long under any circumstances without her knowing, but there was a lost look in his eyes. It struck something inside her, made her want to cry for him. '_Damn emotions,_' Sango thought, turning her attention truely to the lanterns. '_Always trying to show themselves when I least want them to._'

It wouldn't have been fair, Miroku reasoned with himself. It wouldn't have been fair to try and make a life with Sango, after she had lost so much. The looks she gave him sometimes, like just a few moments ago, when she didn't think he was paying attention... He knew she was interested in him, and if it wasn't a romantic interest, it was at least a curiosity to know more about one of the people she had traveled with for so long. He couldn't let her give into that interest, and ironically, the best way he found to keep her at arm's length was to act like he wanted her closer than arm's length. It was _too_ ironic, really. He found himself amazed at how doing things the wrong way could send such a message. He _did_ want her closer, he _really_ did, but if given the choice, he would have gone after her a bit differently. It was strange that he had been acting on his desires the entire time, and yet doing what he didn't want to do in order to protect her, in his eyes, from getting hurt.

If they really _had_ started a life together, what kind of a life would it have been if Naraku was still around? Back then, he had little hope of ever defeating Naraku, but struggled ahead, hoping against hope that he would one day defeat the evil creature. If Naraku was still alive and he and Sango were together, he wouldn't have been able to bear it. His time would have been too short for his liking. And he would have hurt Sango by dieing like that, so suddenly, as he was sure it would have been.

Now that he had a true chance to act without fear of the future, how was he going to prove to Sango that his intentions were pure? Would her response be, again, a slap and an insulting name? What if she thought he was lieing? What if she refused to believe him? What if she didn't really feel anything for him at all?

That thought struck a cold note in his chest, reverbrating hollowly against his ribcage. He ground his teeth together, willing the feeling to pass.

It didn't.

Kagome and InuYasha sat together a little while later, a lantern stuck fast in the ground beside them. Kagome had fallen asleep a short while before the villagers started drifting away from the river, and back to their warm beds. InuYasha sat with his back to a large boulder, Kagome snuggled up to his shoulder. A short while down the river, he knew Sango and Miroku were starting back to the village, too.

He hadn't given her a choice in this, had he? No, his youkai blood had seen to that. InuYasha cursed himself for it. Her returning the mark had been to save his life, hadn't it? If his damn youkai hadn't been so _fucking_ confidant that Kagome would return the mark, maybe this could have been avoided. Maybe he could have given her a choice in this. He didn't remember exactly how he had marked her, though his consciousness had started to drift back after he tasted Kagome's blood. It was too late for any apologies now, though, he decided. What was done was done, and for better or worse, they were well on their way in the process of mating. Glancing at the girl from the future, he knew she wasn't ready for the next step yet. He ached to complete the process, but if she didn't even want to be with him in the first place, he couldn't bear to trap her any more than she already was.

Suddenly, completely unbidden, his thoughts turned to Kikyou. He didn't think of her the way he used to, and he hadn't for a while. No, what he thought of was the terrifying thought that she had been able to possess Kagome. InuYasha's heart skipped a few beats at the fact, the true horror of it hitting him head-on. When Kikyou took control, he felt weak again. Like he was dieing from an unreturned mark all over again. That was probably what it was, since Kagome used her miko powers to return the mark and ultimately save his life. He knew he would keep slipping closer to that end every time Kikyou took control of Kagome. It was bad enough that they had the same face when they were so completely different, but the thought of Kagome _not being Kagome_ and being controlled against her will made his stomach churn.

Then he realized what he was doing was no different.

He forced Kagome into this. _He forced her into something against her will!_ He hissed at the thought, turning his gaze abruptly to the running waters.

He knew Sesshoumaru was there, just across the river. His blasted brother had been just barely out of sight the entire day, just outside the village, still in places where he knew what was going on. It was infuriating enough to catch a random whiff of him throughout the day, but Kouga's underlying scent had been a constant reminder of thier "guests" in the village. He understood that Kouga thought of Kagome as pack, even if she wasn't going to be his mate, and how he'd want to protect her from any slimy youkai that decided to try and take the two pieces of the jewel from her in her time of weakness. Now that InuYasha and Kagome had mated, protecting Kagome meant protecting the hanyou, as well, since if he died, _she_ died.

That was what scared him. With Kikyou able to take control, and with InuYasha slipping further toward death when she did, InuYasha had a very real reason to be afraid of the miko that was fifty years dead, and seven days re-dead. He didn't want to be the reason Kagome died.

It took a very big effort for him to stop thinking about that. He turned his thoughts to Sesshoumaru, instead.

The reasons for the youkai's companionship in the village confounded the hanyou. Sesshoumaru, the _lord of the fucking western lands_, could have stayed _anywhere_ he wanted to. Yet, there he was, across the river, protecting his little brother from opportunistinc youkai, acting as if there were a reason for him to be there. InuYasha resolved to find out what he wanted.

But that was it. That was as far as his thought process felt like going with the thought of his elder _half_-brother. His head _refused_ to think of nothing else but the threat to his mate. Ironically, the thing threatening his mate _was_ his mate.

'_She wouldn't be in this predicament if it weren't for me,_' InuYasha thought bitterly. '_If she hadn't become my mate, she wouldn't be in so much danger. If I hadn't been a hanyou, if I hadn't let go of the Tetsusaiga... she wouldn't have to die because of me!_' He never thought to tell himself that maybe Kagome _could_ have stopped him, and maybe she genuinely _wanted_ to be with him. All he told himself was that he had trapped her at his side, and that she was too kind to let him die.

They were friends, right?

And then he had to go and screw that up.

Finally, his mind decided to cut him a break. "Friends" was a foreign concept, and one worth pondering. He had never had any "friends" growing up. The closest thing he had come to a friend before was Kikyou. And he had messed that up, too. Now, though, he had several, and _real_ friends.

It was strange... he had never sat down and thought about the people around him so deeply. He found himself dumbfounded that Sango and Miroku, and even Shippo, managed to be so lighthearted, even after everything they'd gone through. Sango had lost everyone she had ever had, and Miroku had been cursed to lose himself, as well. InuYasha knew all along that that was the reason that Miroku hadn't asked Sango to bear his children. The actual _looks_ he gave the Taiji-ya were enough to tell InuYasha that he loved her. And since Sango _had_ lost everyone, and since Miroku _was_ going to die unexpectedly, it had kept them apart.

Shippo... _Shippo!_ InuYasha almost laughed. He may have picked on the kitsune a lot, but the kit was okay. '_For a pup,_' InuYasha thought with a wrinkle of his nose. Shippo may have had some rather bratty tendancies... '_Like taking the last rice ball,_' InuYasha grouched... but for having lost both his parents and never learned to fight or hunt or do anything to take care of himself, he was really pulling through okay. '_Even if he _is_ being raised like a human._'

Hey... There was a kid with Sesshoumaru. A _human_ kid. InuYasha was curious as to his brothers intentions with _her_ as well. Was his interest strictly paternal? Or was Sesshoumaru raising himself up a mate? It wasn't unknown to the youkai world for an elder youkai to take in a younger one and raise them to be their mate, but the kid... Rin... she was _human_! Sesshoumaru hated humans, didn't he?

'_Well,_' InuYasha thought, '_If Sesshoumaru decides he doesn't want to take care of her any more, I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind watching after her. She does enough for Shippo already..._' InuYasha almost laughed again, but settled for smiling amusedly. '_Humans... I love 'em._'


	13. A Little More Village Time

Disclaimers: There's a contest in town where you can win the ownership of select InuYasha characters! Mehehehehe, I'll let you know how that turns out.

A/N: (surfaces from depths of family crisis) REEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY sorry I haven't been working on this as much as I should be. But stuff has come up and such, and I've had to deal with it, so even though this will probably be short. But it's still an update, right? ...Right?

Mad thanxorz to all that reviewed. (huggles)

**A Little More Village Time**

Sesshoumaru kept his vigil across the river from InuYasha and Kagome all night, and didn't feel the least bit sleepy. Until Kagome woke up. For some reason the girl's consciousness made him inexplicably tired. Like something was pressing against his barriers, making him _feel_ his weakness. It was likely the dregs of the strange spell that she had cast upon him and Kouga the night InuYasha lay dying.

As for said hanyou, InuYasha was reluctant to sleep, having had too little of it for too long, himself. Briefly, the western lord wondered if he was feeling the same... _pressure_... from Kagome. The two stood and started back to the village. Kouga waited to guard them there, hidden from sight. Once Kagome was out of sight, Sesshoumaru felt in control again. Coming back to himself, he shook himself violently, ridding himself of the morning dew that had settled upon his lordly form, the drops flying in tiny sparks from his silvery mane and his once again immaculately clean kimono. At first he refused to himself to remove the moisture from his armor by using his sleeve, but he broke down when the water started to roll down and absorb into his clothes. After that brief moment of what he considered weakness, he hopped over the river and darted through the trees -- being sure to steer clear of InuYasha and his mate -- in order to find Kouga.

It was to his eternal frustration that he found Kouga asleep on the roof of one of the villager's houses. A swift but nonlethal kick to the wolf's ribs woke him. Kouga's first reaction was to growl and glare his indignancy, but upon realizing it was _Sesshoumaru_ that had caught him napping, the retort died in his throat. He didn't think it was fair. He'd been so _tired_ after that fight with Naraku. He'd only got to sleep a few minutes ago after making sure that InuYasha and Kagome were still at the river, and then he was so _rudely_ awakened!

Kagome and her chosen mate entered Kaede's hut a few minutes later, Kagome making a fuss about her wrinkled kimono. InuYasha rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawned, and said nothing. After another booting from Sesshoumaru, Kouga hopped off the roof and entered the hut, Sesshoumaru swiftly following. Kouga growled at a thought -- it was like Sesshoumaru was _leading_ from _behind_! And InuYasha would do the same thing! It was just impossible to be the alpha that he was supposed to be when they were around. '_Damn dogs,_' Kouga thought bitterly. '_I'll get a mate of my own, _then_ we'll see who's the alpha._'

Upon entering the hut, a loud, sickening crack met thier delicate ears. They both froze, recognizing the sound for what it was: a breaking bone. Miroku was staring at his casted arm in wide-eyed enthrallment. Kagome's hand was resting on it. How she came to do it, neither of the youkai bothered to find out, but one thing was clear. Kagome had healed Miroku's broken arm.

Disbelievingly, Miroku pulled his arm from his sling, rotating it a few times and flexing his fingers. Still doubtful, he poked at where it had been broken, testing its stability.

"Well," Kaede said briskly. "Now that we've had our miracle for the morning, I heard last night from a trustworthy man that there is a miko toward the east. She has a rather lengthy reputation for bondage spells."

"East," Sesshoumaru repeated. The village was already close to the edge of his territory. He didn't trust what would happen if he left his lands, but if he was to discover the source of InuYasha's strength so that _he_ could use it, as well, he would have to. Unless his presence attracted unwanted attention by the lords of the other lands. He also didn't want to drag Rin into this. But she wouldn't be safe in his place of residence without him there, nor did he quite completely trust Kaede to protect Rin from the villagers. Not that he didn't grudgingly trust Kaede herself. Leaving her with Jaken would provide even less protection, though, but at least he might scare away villagers if they bothered the girl, and Kaede had spent long enough protecting the village from youkai, that together they just might be able to protect his young ward.

"Now, when you say 'bondage'..." Miroku implied amusedly. His reward for his joke was a crack over the head with a very large and heavy boomerang courtesy of a newly healed taiji-ya.

"We go east then," Sesshoumaru annoucned.

Stunned. Absolute. Silence. Filled the room. The glare Sesshoumaru recieved from InuYasha was absolutely murderous. Kagome glanced between InuYasha and Sesshoumaru, wondering and worrying about what would happen next. Kouga stared at him in slack-jawed shock, and the others eyed him as if he had gone insane. Kaede merely blinked her one visible eye and raised her eyebrows.

"You... you...!" InuYasha seethed. The line of his body shook in rage, inexplicable as it was. Sesshoumaru regarded the hanyou as if he was an insolent pup. InuYasha clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to rein in his anger. Something inside Sesshoumaru froze when the edges of InuYasha's eyes blurred red.

'_He had-- how could he have-- where'd he get the gall to-- AAAAGG!_' InuYasha's thoughts trailed off into a mindless growl at Sesshoumaru's attempt at taking over what little pack he had. Had he been capable of coherent speech patterns, he would have declared that hell would freeze over before he would kowtow to the likes of _Sesshoumaru_.

The youkai inside him thrashed in animosity toward his brother, fighting against the barricades of the Tetsusaiga. The barriers bent, but held.

They bent enough to drive InuYasha clawing at Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru's surprise cracked through his stoic facade as he side-stepped the sudden attack.

While InuYasha and Sesshoumaru flailed about the room, growling vehemently at each other, Kagome felt something inside her throb, and hard. She pitched forward at the feeling, almost knocking herself off her feet. Miroku tried to step in between the warring brothers, only to be stopped by Sango, with the explanation that the two were fighting for dominance, and anyone that got in the way would end up the worse for wear, and probably wouldn't walk away alive.

It was Kaede and Shippo that noticed Kagome's paling face and how she clutched at the cloth over her chest, as if trying to contain something there. Their inquiries to her condition fell on deaf ears, which caused them to get all the more rialed up, drawing not only Kouga's attention, but Sango's and Miroku's, as well. Sesshoumaru glanced at the girl briefly, then was almost beheaded by a wild swipe of InuYasha's claws.

Though Sesshoumaru avoided InuYasha's claws, he was caught in the stomach by his shoulder, knocking him to the ground. From there he was pinned, and when he tried to throw his brother off, InuYasha bit his ear.

Kouga's head swivelled around so fast it might have broken if he weren't a youkai, and Sango's jaw dropped. The cause was a reflexive yip that came from none other than Sesshoumaru's throat when InuYasha bit his ear. The corners of Kouga's mouth twitched, somehow managing to contain his amusement. Sango determinedly turned back to Kagome, who, when InuYasha bit Sesshoumaru, lurched forward once again, gasping, clamping her hands once again over her chest. Her mouth worked in silent words, incomprehensible to even youkai ears.

In a voice heavy with growls and snarls, InuYasha announced, "_You_ are _not_ the _alpha_ here."

With a defiant glare, Sesshoumaru averted his eyes to the side in what InuYasha accepted as a submissive gesture. InuYasha got off Sesshoumaru, but upon reaching his feet he came back to himself, swaying noticably. Kagome simultaniously pulled in a deep breath and straightened again. Miroku frowned, confusion written plain as day across his features.

"Yasha... InuYasha!" Kagome choked out, an hand flying up to her mouth. The words that started as her own shifted and became convoluted until Kikyou's voice came out of her throat, causing Kagome to absolutely tremble in fear. InuYasha was at her side in an instant, holding her by her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

"Kagome?" he inquired quickly. She stared at him... stared through him. He shook her urgently, saying her name again. "Ka-go-me!"

Coming back to her senses, Kagome launched herself into InuYasha's arms, her hands clenching in the material of his kimono. Though he didn't understand what was going on, he embraced her comfortingly. He frowned at Miroku, trusting he'd have some sort of an explination.

Sesshoumaru was left to pick himself up off the floor alone.

After a breif shake of his head that showed he was confused as well, Miroku began to explain his theory. "Kikyou's aura was... active. When you started to turn into your youkai self, she started acting up. It wasn't noticeable at first, but when you started to really fight Sesshoumaru, and pin him down, it got worse."

"And it's a logical conclusion that if it happens again," Sango provided, "Kikyou might do the same." To this Miroku nodded.

Kouga slanted a smirk in Sesshoumaru's direction. "That means no more trying to undermine the pack heirarchy, Sesshoumaru." Kouga's smirk was met with a glare. Kouga feigned innocence with shrug. "Hey, if _you_ want to challenge mutt-face again and turn Kagome into Kikyou so she can kill us all... well, be my guest!"

With a snarling growl, InuYasha rammed his fist into Kouga's face without looking at him, sending the wolf crashing to the floor.


	14. Rumor Mill and Runaround

Disclaimers: Well, I lost that contest… I got depressed and stuff so I haven't updated since February. So that means that I don't own InuYasha and company. Snap and drat and all that.

A/N: Sorry for the big gap. Stuff happened. And I really don't feel like explaining.

Oi… I don't like calling Kaede's place a hut…

Oh! I saw the last two episodes of InuYasha! SQUEE! Next goal: find the episode where Miroku pops the question to Sango. Seeing as how that was left completely out of this fic since I haven't seen it…

One other thing: MAD LUFFS FOR KOUGA. (pounce)

**Rumor Mill and Runaround**

The morning sun spilled through the window of Kaede's residence, making a certain hanyou less than comfortable with the heat on his back and neck. Wrinkling his nose, he opened one eye against the bright glare. He began his survey by the door, where Sesshoumaru sat and slept. Kaede slept under her bedding in her usual spot, near the fire pit. Miroku lay on his side by the opposite wall, Sango not too far away, yet out of reaching distance. Next to her, Shippo and Kirara were snuggled together, borrowing each other's warmth. Behind the adjacent wall – which was also the back wall – InuYasha could smell Kouga, rejoined by his remaining pack members. Kagome was – where was Kagome!

He almost got up. He had his hand on Tetsusaiga, ready to use it to help stand. He jerked forward, then relaxed again, looking to his side. Kagome was leaning against his arm, her fingers discreetly laced with his beneath the sleeves of their kimonos. A rare smile made it halfway onto his face upon looking at her sleeping form, her hair a bit rustled, her kimono a bit wrinkled, and her expression oh-so serene. While everyone slept, he allowed himself an indulgence of her presence, letting his head rest on hers and closing his eyes again, brushing his thumb over her hand. He breathed in deeply, inhaling her sweet scent. He let his senses fill with her, the sounds of her breath, the feel of her skin and hair, the scent of her sweat and lingering traces of her hair soap.

Kouga barely had to grip the door mat in order to see InuYasha and Kagome, both looking so comfortable in each other's company. He dropped the mat again, allowing himself a chance to breathe. That scene… it was painful. If InuYasha marking Kagome before – and Kagome returning it almost too late – hadn't told him anything, he just got slapped in the face with it right then. Who was he ever kidding, thinking he could make Kagome his own? In the long run, it had only aggravated InuYasha, and allowed his pack to get attached to the girl.

No, he thought. She was still pack, blood or not. Mark or not.

He stepped away from the doorway, pressing his back against the wall, and let himself slide down until he sat on the ground. Was he defeated? There had never been any true competition. He realized that now. Kagome would have never willingly been his. She belonged to InuYasha even before he'd met her. Looking back, it infuriated him that InuYasha was so dense as to not realize that, and to turn around and dash off to Kikyou.

That wasn't for him to mull over, though. He knew next to nothing about what had happened between Kikyou and InuYasha over fifty years ago. He didn't really want to know, either. The thought of InuYasha even entertaining thoughts of being with a woman that wasn't Kagome made him feel sick. It was so unfair to Kagome. Letting his head rest against the wall as well, he put a conscious effort into letting that go. It wasn't his problem to deal with.

But if InuYasha hurt Kagome, there would be hell to pay.

Rustling noises of people waking up met Kouga's ears, informing him that he wouldn't be eaten alive by another painful sight should he decide to enter. With a steeling breath, he stood and went in.

.: xXx :.

They all waited outside for Kagome to finish cramming things into her backpack so they could start on their trek east, toward the miko who could merge the two halves of the Shikon no Tama and Kagome's soul. Sesshoumaru stood impatiently a few paces ahead, Jaken standing near him.

A few moments later, Kagome cheerfully emerged from the hut, backpack slung over her shoulders. No one moved until InuYasha took a few steps to start leading the way. Kagome fell in step next to him, Sango and Miroku following, and Kouga bringing up the rear until he was joined by Sesshoumaru. Shippo rode on Miroku's shoulder while Kirara rode on Sango's. Jaken muttered darkly in the very rear, something about leaving Ah-Un around the village and Rin with that crotchety old lady of a miko. He muttered up until they stopped to rest in a clearing the path went through.

When they stopped, Jaken ran into Kouga's leg and bounced off. The miserable creature stood up and was about to shout something at the wolf prince, but a dry glare from Sesshoumaru silenced him. Kouga caught this, and started wondering at something. How far could the little imp be tortured before he snapped and "spoke out of turn"? And when he did, would Sesshoumaru really kill him?

While they were resting, Sango and Kagome refilled water bottles in a nearby brook. Miroku sat on the large roots of a tree, and Shippo and Kirara curled up for a nap in the dappled sun. Sesshoumaru stood near the pathway, Jaken not too far from him. InuYasha stood on roots similar to the ones that Kouga and Miroku lounged on, watching the girls. More specifically, watching Kagome. A strange expression worked its way onto his face, as if he was thinking about something unpleasant. Kouga could only wonder what it was. Whatever it was, it had something to do with Kagome. He didn't like the fact that the thought made the hanyou scowl. Was he getting cold feet about finishing the mating ritual with Kagome? Oh, he'd have hell to pay if he broke her heart…

Kagome turned around, capping the last water bottle and chatting away merrily with Sango, as if nothing was wrong. InuYasha quickly wiped his expression clean of any evidence of a souring mood, so as not to alarm Kagome. He just couldn't help his thoughts returning to feeling like he was trapping her into the mating.

The girls walked together after they departed again, Kagome holding Shippo and Sango again carrying Kirara. Miroku walked behind them, and the other youkai brought up the rear again. Jaken was carefully silent.

They passed through a village not long after that, and confirmed the rumors of the miko in the next village over. It was less than an hour before they were in the village they were looking for.

It was a quiet place, much like Kaede's home, and on a riverside. They came upon the rice fields before they saw anyone that lived there. They had walked a good distance into the village before they saw anyone, in fact.

InuYasha's ears pricked forward at the sound of sutra-chanting. He hurried everyone along to find out what it was. They arrived just in time to see a weeping woman light a funeral pyre in an open area on the street. Kagome's blood ran cold. InuYasha's gut knotted. Sango shivered, and the others displayed various degrees of unease. Sango ventured up to one of the villagers, and inquired as to who the funeral was for and why it seemed like everyone was there.

"O-our beloved miko," the man stammered, trying to keep his composure for his family's sake, "she died. This is her – her f-funeral."

InuYasha wanted to break something. _Now_ what were they supposed to do?


End file.
